Parliamentary Question: Irish Prison Service

31st January 2007

415. Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Wheatfield Prison is advertised on the Irish Prison Service website as a place of detention for male adults and juveniles aged 15 years and over; if children under the age of 18 are currently being or have recently been held there; and if he will guarantee in line with the Children Act 2001 that no child will be detained there or in any other prison. [2382/07]

Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell): I am informed by the Director General of the Irish Prison Service that there was an error on their website in this respect which has now been corrected. I am further informed that on 29 January, 2007 there were no persons aged 17 years or under in Wheatfield Prison and, furthermore, that no such person has been held there in recent times.

The Deputy will be aware that the Children Act 2001, as amended by the Criminal Justice Act 2006, provides for the detention of children aged up to 18 years in children detention schools. It further provides that no child shall be committed to a prison. A transitional provision has been included in the Act to allow for the continued detention of boys aged 16 and 17 in St. Patrick's Institution or another place of detention until such time as sufficient children detention school places are available. These provisions have not been commenced but it is the intention of my colleague the Minister for Children, who has delegated responsibility for the Children Act, to bring the outstanding provisions into force on 1 March, 2007. When implemented, management responsibility for children detention services will be located in the Irish Youth Justice Service, an executive office of my Department, which also has oversight of all other aspects of youth offending responses.