Ms Koulla Yiasouma:

I am not the chair at Oberstown until 1 June so I will just give my personal opinion. Transitions are really important. Ensuring that the work done in a place like Oberstown is embedded and continues, whether in the community or elsewhere, is really important. A child is a child until the age of 18 and we have a different system for children. As a children's rights advocate, I think we have to preserve that. However, it does not make sense to put a 19-year-old or an 18.5-year-old into an adult prison. There is a facility for those aged 18 to 21 in the North called Hydebank Wood. The juvenile justice centre in Northern Ireland provides for those up to the age of 18. Those aged 18 to 21 go to Hydebank Wood while those over 21 go to adult prisons. There is a need for a facility for those in between. Oberstown has a role in contributing to that. It may also have land to contribute. That is a discussion that needs to be had with the Department and with the Department of Justice. However, the Leas-Chathaoirleach is right about putting a 19-year-old in an adult prison. Such a 19-year-old may think he is mature and a big man but he is not really because he has not had the life experiences of any other 19-year-old. I am the parent of a 22-year-old and I would not think her able for prison, even though she is a teacher. There needs to be an in-between place. I would be reluctant to put such people in with those aged under 18 because a child is a child, if that answers the Leas-Chathaoirleach's questions. It is a huge leap from Oberstown to an adult prison.