Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 June 2022
138. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Justice the names of the members of the section 44 committee that was put in place to monitor the effectiveness of the Garda youth diversion programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34840/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe statutory Garda Youth Diversion Programme is provided for in Part IV of the Children Act 2001 (as amended). The objective of the Programme is to divert any child who accepts responsibility for his or her criminal or anti-social behaviour from committing further offences or engaging in further anti-social behaviour.
The Programme is carried on and managed, under the general superintendence and control of the Commissioner of the Garda Síochána, by a member of the Garda Síochána not below the rank of superintendent who is referred to as the Director of the Programme. As such, neither I nor Minister McEntee play any role in the operation of the Programme.
Section 44 (1) of the Act provides that the Minister shall appoint a committee to monitor the effectiveness of the Programme, review all aspects of its operation and monitor the ongoing training needs of facilitators. Section 44 (2) lays out the membership of this committee as a chairperson, who must be an Assistant Commissioner of An Garda Síochána, and three other members. Of the three other members, one must be a Chief Superintendent of An Garda Síochána and the other two members must not be members of An Garda Síochána.
The current committee members as appointed by the Minister in October 2020 are:
- Assistant Commissioner Paula Hillman,
- Chief Superintendent Collette Quinn,
- Professor Sean Redmond, University of Limerick,
- Ms Salome Mbugua, Akina Dada wa Africa (AkiDwA).
