Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The youth diversion programme is a very good scheme and it should be promoted and encouraged. What is disturbing is the question mark over parts of it. I am sure it is the wish of the committee that the scheme continues because if we can get a child off the path of criminality at an early stage we will save society, that child and victims of crime in the long term. If we do not we will have a problem until the boy - generally - is in his 40s.