Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 73: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the details of any proposed interim options put to her by the Irish Youth Justice Service to end the practice of sending children to St. Patrick's Institution. [8059/12]

Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 94: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the date on which the practice of sending 16 and 17 year olds to St. Patrick's Institution will end; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8058/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 73 and 94 together.

The Government is committed to ending the practice of sending 16 and 17 year old boys to St Patrick's institution. It is a priority of mine to ensure that this practice ends as soon as possible. I visited St Patrick's Institution twice in November last year, prior to assuming legal responsibility for the children detention schools from the Minister for Justice and Equality in January 2012. I received a briefing from the Governor and his staff on the efforts that are made on a daily basis to provide appropriate, safe and secure care for 16 and 17 males. I also visited each of the children detention schools on the Oberstown campus during 2011.

The Government appreciates that, as far as possible, the 16 and 17 year old age group is accommodated and cared for differently from the other offenders held in St. Patrick's Institution, in line with best practice and child protection guidance procedures. Nevertheless, it is unacceptable that children continue to be detained with adult prisoners and the Government is committed to ending this practice.

I am pursuing both interim and medium term arrangements to address this matter. In the context of my taking over responsibility for the children detention schools last month I tasked a group, chaired by the Secretary General of my Department, to identify interim measures which could reduce the number of 16 and 17 year old boys detained in St. Patrick's Institution. The group comprises officials from the Irish Youth Justice Service, the Irish Prison Service and the Probation Service. I understand that the group has made considerable progress. I expect to have a report on the matter shortly and will examine the position in conjunction with the Minister for Justice and Equality.

I have also asked that the Irish Youth Justice Service reassess the projected cost of the proposed National Children Detention Facility on the Oberstown campus, North County Dublin to bring it into line with current price levels and current economic realities. This process is ongoing and the Irish Youth Justice Service has been tasked with progressing to completion during 2012 the design work and tender documentation for the NCDF project in Oberstown. I am also in ongoing consultations with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on the funding of the Oberstown project. The House can be assured that I will continue to make the case at Government level on the priority that should be given to this project.