Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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28. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the current arrangements for children whose detention has been ordered by the courts because they have committed a criminal offence; if she is satisfied an adequate number of places are available for children in child detention centres here; and if she will confirm that adequate security measures are now in place at child detention centres in order that no child can abscond from any of these centres. [38604/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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There are currently 3 children detention schools in the State: Trinity House, Oberstown Boys and Oberstown Girls schools. All are located on the same campus at Oberstown, near Lusk, Co. Dublin. These schools currently accommodate girls under 18 years of age on admission and boys under 17 years on admission whose detention is ordered by the Courts on remand or on conviction for criminal offences. The Deputy will be aware that a construction project is to commence shortly in Oberstown to expand the capacity of the campus, to enable responsibility for detention of all young people under 18 years of age to be assigned to Oberstown in 2014.

There has been a substantial increase in demand for male bed spaces on the Oberstown campus in 2013 compared to 2012. This has been primarily but not exclusively driven by an increase in the number of boys aged 16 years old on admission detained in Oberstown. As a result, there is a shortage of male bed spaces available in Oberstown at present. While the trend in court outcomes for children requires further research, I am conscious that a number of measures are required to address the short term difficulties that have arisen in this area.

Firstly, by agreement with staff, an independent review of the campus roster for care staff is to get under way shortly which will include the issues of the number of staff absences resulting from sickness, assaults and injuries, adequacy of staffing levels as well as the implementation of the Haddington Road Agreement. This process will commence before the end of September and will be completed as soon as possible.

My Department has also identified an ongoing trend of children exiting the HSE secure residential system and being remanded in custody to the Oberstown campus. Both the Irish Youth Justice Service and HSE Child and Family Services are to further analyse this trend to establish if in certain cases the needs of the children concerned would be more appropriately addressed by way of community based services.

I have authorised a reorganisation of staffing and services on the campus which will result in 4 additional male bed places in Oberstown Boys School before the end of this month, subject to legal advice. This will include moving the location of Oberstown Girls School from its current location to a unit currently occupied by Oberstown Boys School, reducing the number of bed spaces for girls from 8 to 6 and increasing the number of male detention spaces in Oberstown Boys School from 20 to 24.

My Department is also progressing plans for recruitment of staff to enable the reopening of an 8 bed unit for males in Trinity House School which is currently not available for use due to staffing issues. A tender is to issue shortly for a pilot project to bring in between 10 – 20 residential care worker staff on an agency basis. The intention is to run this project for a test period of up to 6 months, starting in October. In addition, the first batch of new care staff due to arrive in early 2014 as part of the expansion of the campus for 17 year old males are, in the first instance, to be assigned to the existing children detention schools in order to ensure the required cover to open all detention beds that are currently certified for use.

I have previously provided information in relation to absconds which took place from Oberstown Boys School in June of this year. The 3 boys in question were subsequently apprehended by the Gardai and returned to Oberstown. I am advised that there has been a full review of security by the Director of Oberstown Boys School to prevent a recurrence of this incident. While it can never be guaranteed that such incidents will be prevented, I am aware that there is a long history of a high level of security in Oberstown as well as excellent co-operation and communication with the local community. The issue of security will remain an ongoing matter for review by the Board of management and the Irish Youth Justice Service. I also note that there will be enhanced security on the campus as a result of the Oberstown capital project, which will include a new cordon barrier and fence as well as an expansion in CCTV coverage on the campus.