I have noted the Deputy's concern about early intervention but we must be clear about our terms. The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform is responsible under the legislation for early intervention. The responsibilities of the Department of Education and Science include the detention of persons under 16 years of age. As regards the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the most fundamental form of early intervention is the Garda diversion scheme which has been put on a statutory basis under the Children Act 2001. That part of the Act has been implemented.
The work of the juvenile liaison officers and programmes operating under the diversion schemes is the first key barrier to offending. This is the first time an offender comes into direct conflict with the law and the diversion scheme has proved to be a considerable success. The new form of conferencing envisaged by the Children Act has been implemented by the juvenile liaison officers. In addition, the provisions for restorative justice, whereby the victim confronts the offenders, have been implemented under the juvenile liaison scheme.
The Deputy referred to the recent "Prime Time" programme, but it is difficult to say whether early intervention measures would have assisted that group of individuals who had already come before the courts on a substantial number of occasions. A stage of intervention before detention is clearly required for those offenders when they are first apprehended and appear before the courts. Responsibility for that type of required intervention, which can hardly be characterised as early because a person who comes before the courts regularly is on a serious progression of criminality, must be managed by the probation and welfare service.
I accept the point that there are insufficient facilities in this area at present. That is why the Government agreed to sanction the recruitment of 30 probation and welfare officers for a dedicated service for the Children's Court. That recruitment is taking place. As a result, conferencing can commence with that group of children, which can lead to an engagement as to what interventions can be used as a last resort before detention, to attempt the difficult task of diverting these individuals away from the criminal path.
In speaking of early intervention, I take it the Deputy will also consider the wider measures under the aegis of the Department of Health and Children concerning parenting and intervention for children under the age of seven, but that point raises wider questions.