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Irish Penal Reform Trust

Continued reliance on ‘single separation' of children at Oberstown detention centre

17th April 2026

This article reports on a Health Information and Quality Authority inspection of Oberstown Children’s Detention Campus, which found an over-reliance on isolating young people through “single separation”, raising serious children’s rights concerns. The report links these practices in part to staffing shortages and identifies gaps in oversight and implementation of recommendations. Saoirse Brady of IPRT is quoted emphasising that children’s rights must not be compromised due to operational pressures. IPRT highlights the need for a rights-based approach and adequate resourcing to reduce the use of restrictive practices.

Read the full article here

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