Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 November 2008
28 Deputy Noel J. Coonan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he deems it appropriate for young people who require treatment such as psychiatric treatment to be located on the same site as other categories of prisoners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40308/08]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can advise the Deputy that figures relating to 31 October, 2008 indicated that there were 56 male persons under the age of 18 in custody in St. Patrick's Institution which is the designated detention centre for young male offenders aged between 16 and 21 years of age. Of these 40 were aged 17 and the remaining 16 were sixteen years of age.
The enactment of the remaining sections of the Children Act with effect from 1 March, 2007 means that girls aged 16 and 17 years may only be remanded or committed to Oberstown Girls School and no girls under the age of 18 may be remanded or committed to an adult prison. Furthermore, until appropriate children detention school facilities are available, boys aged 16 and 17 may only be remanded to St. Patrick's Institution and 17 year old boys can no longer be committed to adult prisons.
In the longer term the Youth Justice Service will take responsibility for the detention facilities for all boys under 18 years. The Irish Youth Justice Service have already taken over responsibility for the detention of boys under the age of 16 (at the time of remand or committal) and girls under the age of 18 (at the time of remand or committal) from the Department of Education and Science with effect from 1 March, 2007. Planning for the redevelopment and replacement of the existing children detention facilities has already commenced and the new facilities will provide accommodation for 16 and 17 year old boys. When the Irish Youth Justice Service is in a position to take responsibility for this group of boys, they will be detained in children detention schools entirely separate from adult prison facilities.
In the interim the separation of children and young adults in St. Patrick's Institution has taken place in so far as is possible given the physical limitations of the St. Patrick's site. The Special School (B Division) was opened in April 2007 specifically for this purpose. Inmates aged 16 and 17 now have a residential area, communal dining area, and education, work training and recreational areas that are separate from young adults. This has created a separate and enhanced regime for them.
The new prison facilities at Thornton will have a separate self-contained stand alone accommodation unit for 16/17 year old male offenders. The accommodation is being provided as an interim measure pending the provision of additional accommodation by the Irish Youth Justice Service.
Young people in need of in-patient psychiatric care in St. Patrick's Institution are facilitated on site by in-reach services provided by psychiatrists from the Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum. A consultant led psychiatric clinic is provided weekly in the institution where young people are seen and treatment provided as appropriate including referral to external facilities for treatment where warranted.
