Parliamentary Question: Juvenile Offenders

7th March 2001

45. Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans he has for the development of additional secure places for the detention of offending juveniles; his proposals for recruiting qualified staff; and the time scale intended. [6956/01]
 
Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods): My Department has responsibility for five centres, which provide residential accommodation for children up to the age of 16 who are placed on remand or sentenced to detention by the courts.

My colleague the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy O'Donoghue, has published the Children Bill, 1999, which is currently in Committee. In addition to updating the provisions relating to young persons who have been sentenced by the courts and the obligations of the centres under the aegis of my Department, the legislation will provide for a wide range of early interventions and non-custodial alternatives to cater for children coming into conflict with the law or with serious care needs.

Development plans have been drawn up by my Department to meet obligations that will arise under the new legislation. These plans provide for: major refurbishment and updating of the existing facilities at Trinity House, Lusk, which is the only secure provision for juvenile offenders in the State and of St. Laurence's, Finglas; the phased replacement of the existing outdated facilities at St. Michael's, Finglas and Oberstown boys' and girls' centres; the development of new pre-release units to serve the Finglas and Lusk centres; the development of a new highly specialised secure unit at the Lusk campus.

In total, the development plans envisage an overall increase of 30 places in the level of provision currently available for young offenders. The plans will cost in excess of £25 million and will be completed over the next four to five years. I am satisfied that the number of places envisaged will ensure that there are adequate places available for children remanded or sentenced by the courts.

Matters relating to the recruitment of staff are the responsibility of the management authority in each of the centres. My Department gives a staffing allocation to each centre and posts are filled as and when they become vacant. Procedures governing the selection of staff are in place to ensure that only appropriately qualified and experienced staff are appointed. I understand that the centres follow these procedures.