The Irish Youth Justice Service oversees a significant investment in community based programmes to divert young people from further involvement in criminal or anti-social behaviour. In 2016, approximately €17m has been allocated by the Department of Justice and Equality to the Irish Youth Justice Service to administer Garda Youth Diversion Projects, Young Persons Probation Projects and a number of other youth diversion community-based projects. In 2015, 7282 children were admitted to the Garda Diversion Programmes. These projects also benefit from support under the European Social Fund.
Under Section 88 of the Children Act 2001, a court may remand a child in custody who is charged with or found guilty of an offence, who is being sent forward for trial, or in respect of whom the court has postponed a decision. The discretion as to whether or not to remand a child in custody is solely for the decision of the judge hearing the case.
As part of the Youth Justice Action Plan 2014-2018, a key commitment was the development of a Bail Supervision Scheme. The scheme, which is currently operating on a pilot basis, provides more therapeutic supports in the community for children who are subject to bail conditions. The scheme provides a ‘wraparound’ service to the young person and their family with a prescribed reporting system back to the courts through the appropriate statutory bodies: Probation Service and An Garda Síochána. The scheme offers greater options to the courts in the knowledge that closer monitoring will take place through interaction with the young people, their families and communities.
It should be noted that today (24/03/2017) there are currently 34 children detained in Oberstown Children Detention Campus (Oberstown), 9 of which are on remand, which represents 26% of the total number of children detained in Oberstown.
The Assessment, Consultation and Therapy Service which is a national service provided by Tusla - the Child and Family Agency and which provides clinical services to children in the community, children in detention and also in special care facilities. On admission to Oberstown an individual management plan is put in place for each child which includes a mental health assessment to determine the need for more specialist support provided by the Assessment, Consultation and Therapy Service and short term interventions may continue when the child returns to the community.
