Parliamentary Question: Detention Centres

11th February 2003

292. Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of juvenile detention centres, and their total capacity within the State; the number of places within these centres which are currently occupied; the number of spaces within these centres which are currently unoccupied; the average duration of stay per person at a juvenile detention centre; if there are plans for the refurbishment or extension of existing juvenile detention centres or to develop new juvenile detention centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3602/03]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. N. Dempsey): The five child detention schools under the aegis of my Department provide residential accommodation for children under 16 years who have been convicted of an offence or remanded in custody by the courts. There are 130 places available for use in these schools, of which 99 places were occupied on 7 February last. The latter figure includes 11 places which are occupied by young people on authorised leave or who have absconded from the schools. These 11 places are not available for use as the young person is still under the terms of their sentence and usually their absence from the school is for a short period. Therefore, 31 places are currently unoccupied.

Children convicted of offences may be committed to the schools for a period ranging from a year to four years. The average stay ranges between 12 and 18 months. Children on charges before the courts may be remanded in custody on remand only, or on remand for assessment. Remand periods range from days to weeks. The average duration of remand periods ranges between four and 13 weeks. Work is currently under way on a programme of capital developments at the child detention schools. This programme provides for the major refurbishment and replacement of existing facilities that are considered inadequate in the context of building regulations, health and safety standards and current minimum standards for residential child care. I have no plans to build new child detention schools at present.