Dr. Fergal Lynch:

I accept the points made by Deputy Robert Troy. Senior management has been very conscious of the points he has made. There have been a number of important HR developments that the Deputy may wish to note. A training officer was appointed in September and there is a campus wide training strategy and schedule in place. This is very important. The point the Deputy about training is highly relevant in that regard. There is now a designated human resources manager for the campus. The post commenced in August. There is a commitment to ensure best practice in the area of human resources. To make sure we get the right number of staff in the right place, a good deal of work has been done for some time on the issue. Much work has been done on recruitment fares, in changing rosters in the Oberstown centre and making it as attractive and practical as possible for people to work there. Mr. Bergin and others have been promoting it as a good place in which to work. Senior management has emphasised and tried to demonstrate in practical terms that it is a good, appropriate place in which to work, that it is well run and will be even better run as the training kicks in.

The staff are showing significant commitment in very difficult circumstances. As the Minister stated, three units are being amalgamated into one and people are moving into new facilities, which are hugely improved. I have been there myself and it is great to contrast the physical facilities now versus what was they were a year or 18 months ago This type of change brings its challenges and we are very conscious of this, as is the management in Oberstown, which is very much committed to working with us to ensure the facility can continue to develop and that we move all of those aged 17, including those on committal, into the facility as early as possible in 2016.