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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 7 Oct 2003

Vol. 571 No. 4

Written Answers. - Probation and Welfare Service.

John Deasy

Ceist:

484 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of paedophiles that are registered in the catchment area covering the proposed probation office in the Donaghmede shopping centre, Dublin 13; the number that will be using this office; if the review of the office's services and its impact on the community will commence prior to the local elections in 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22249/03]

I wish to advise the Deputy that the probation and welfare service office to be established in Donaghmede will be a local office and not a regional office. The probation and welfare service, nationwide, has moved towards localisation of its offices within the past number of years. Local service delivery enhances co-operation from those people working with the probation and welfare service who are normally also based locally.

In Dublin, the probation and welfare service has been successful in establishing offices in Dún Laoghaire, Ballyfermot, Tallaght, Finglas, Crumlin and Clondalkin. These offices are sited in local communities, alongside businesses, over shops and within industrial units. No complaint has been received by the probation and welfare service to date from any member of the public about the behaviour of those attending a local office, nor has any complaint been brought to the attention of any officer of the service about the behaviour of those attending a local office.

The premises concerned were identified over three years ago by the service and the Office of Public Works as being suitable for a probation and welfare service local office. A lease was subsequently arranged with the owners of the shopping centre. Planning permission was sought and obtained in 2002 to adapt the building to service the needs of the probation and welfare service.
It should be noted that the probation and welfare service will, for the most part, deal with people attending the office on an appointment basis to meet their obligations to the courts or if they are in crisis due to homelessness or other personal or family difficulty. Clients will include those on whom the court has ordered reports, prior to considering the type of sanction it will impose, and those who are on statutory orders from the court, either a probation order or a community service order. There are no known child sex offenders under the supervision of the probation and welfare service in the area at present. In addition, parents whose children's behaviour is causing them concern often seek advice from service personnel. Others who visit service local offices include lawyers, gardaí, other statutory and voluntary agencies and representatives of local communities. There is no reason to believe that the Donaghmede office will be any different from the other local offices in this regard.
I met with representatives of the residents associations adjacent to Donaghmede shopping centre in October 2002 and also held a further meeting with local elected representatives on this matter. During these meetings, I acknowledged the concerns expressed about the possible impact on the area. However, I also encouraged all concerned to give the probation and welfare service the opportunity to demonstrate that the office can operate to professional standards as in the rest of the country.
A monitoring group for the office will be established comprising representatives of the residents, traders of the shopping centre, the property management group, the probation and welfare service and the Garda. The probation and welfare service has not been given a date to move into the Donaghmede premises as building work is still ongoing. It is anticipated that the move will take place later this year. The first review of the operation of the office is planned to take place after six to 12 months of operation allowing for a settling in period which will involve setting the office up, meetings, etc. I intend to take appropriate action, if in the collective opinion of the monitoring group, it transpires that the presence of the office is linked to a significant rise in criminality in the area.
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