Trevor Sargent
Ceist:89 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Education if Oberstown, Lusk, County Dublin, could be used for Dublin prisoners principally and inmates from afar detained nearer their homes. [13859/95]
Written Answers. - Young Offenders' Accommodation.
Trevor Sargent
Ceist:97 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Education the way in which the number of additional places, reportedly 20, was identified in the context of the proposal to build an extension to Oberstown, Lusk, County Dublin. [13854/95]
Trevor Sargent
Ceist:98 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Education if she will delay plans to extend Oberstown, Lusk, County Dublin, until she has met Lusk Community Council in order to hear directly the frightening reports of poor security in this area. [13855/95]
Trevor Sargent
Ceist:99 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Education if she will give a breakdown on a county basis of male and female inmates in Oberstown and Trinity House, County Dublin. [13856/95]
Trevor Sargent
Ceist:100 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Education if she will provide a copy of the Lonergan Report on Oberstown, Lusk and Trinity House to Lusk Community Council (details supplied) in County Dublin. [13857/95]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 89, 97, 98, 99 and 100 together.
Discussions are continuing between my Department and the Departments of Health and Justice in regard to the provision of accommodation for young offenders, including accommodation at the special schools for young offenders at Lusk, County Dublin.
I am aware of the concerns of the Lusk Community Council in relation to security in the area. Indeed, Minister of State, Austin Currie, and I met with representatives of the council on 18 July 1995 to discuss the council's concerns.
As I indicated to the council, I view its concerns with the utmost seriousness. Security arrangements at the centres in question are kept under constant review. At present, a Campus Review Committee is conducting a major review of security issues at the Lusk site. This committee is comprised of management and staff representatives of the three centres on the campus.
Officials of my Department will be meeting with local management this week to review progress on various measures to address the problems referred to by the Deputy.
The Lonergan report was a confidential security audit on Trinity House School, Lusk, conducted by Mr. John Lonergan, Governor, Portlaoise Prison at the request of the Department of Justice. The report was completed in June 1991. Given the nature of the report, I would not consider it appropriate that it be made publicly available.
I attach a list of the counties of origin of children currently in the Special Schools for Young Offenders at Lusk, County Dublin. The Deputy will appreciate that the details in question can very from week to week, particularly where children placed on short term remand are concerned. However, as a general rule, the majority of placements relate to children from the Dublin area.
Given the uncertainty surrounding demand for places for children from outside the Dublin area; the relatively small numbers likely to be involved; and the very high cost associated with any such development, I have no plans at present to extend provision in the young offender area beyond the locations already mentioned.
County of Origin of Children in Special Schools for Young Offenders at Lusk, County Dublin (Week Ending 29 September 1995).
|
County |
Trinity House |
Oberstown Boys Centre |
Oberstown Girls Centre |
Total by County |
|
Carlow |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Cavan |
0 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
|
Clare |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Cork |
3 |
3 |
6 |
12 |
|
Donegal |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Dublin |
16 |
13 |
5 |
34 |
|
Derry |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Galway |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
|
Kerry |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Kildare |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Kilkenny |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Laois |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Leitrim |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Limerick |
2 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
|
Longford |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Louth |
0 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
Mayo |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Meath |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Monaghan |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Offaly |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Roscommon |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Sligo |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Tipperary |
2 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
|
Waterford |
0 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
|
Westmeath |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Wexford |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Wicklow |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Totals |
28 |
27 |
15 |
70 |
Trevor Sargent
Ceist:90 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Education the reason the centre for juvenile female offenders at Finglas, Dublin 11, was scrapped in view of the fact that money was allocated to fund it at the time. [13860/95]
The centre to which the Deputy refers was originally planned for development on a part of the site at Finglas which currently houses the Finglas Children's Centre.
In 1992, the then Minister for Education directed that a review be conducted into the original choice of site and that consideration be given to possible alternatives.
This review concluded that the site originally selected was unsuitable having regard to the scale of existing operations at the Finglas Children's Centre and the relatively small area available for the new development.
Following consideration of a range of alternative options, it was concluded that the proposed new facility for juvenile female offenders should be located at Oberstown, Lusk, County Dublin where the existing Oberstown Girls' Centre is located.