Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 6:

In page 10, line 6, after “offence” to insert the following:“and may be less. The Court shall have regard to the age, level of maturity, best interests of the child and the principle of detention as a last resort in determining the nature of any penalty imposed”.

This amendment specifies everything we have stated is the objective of the Bill. The principle of detention as a last resort should be enshrined in the legislation. We should try to move to a situation that is much closer to Sweden’s, where no one under the age of 15 years is put in prison. The 2001 Act stated this principle and we should continue it.