Mr. Seán Egan:

We know that youth detention is criminogenic. That is what criminologists call it. It means that when one is detained as a young person, he or she is more likely to go out and commit further offences. That is despite the really heroic, progressive, dedicated and loving work the people at Oberstown do. They do a lot of really valuable work and have a huge impact on some of the young men and women who go through there. However, the evidence seems to indicate that someone involved in the criminal justice system at an early age is more likely to reoffend than the other young people who are diverted through the process through the Garda national youth diversion programme. These criminal justice interventions for young people can have the unintended effect of creating further offending down the line because it can sometimes harden people's attitudes towards the Garda. It can mean people end up associating with other people who have dysfunctional personal issues or who are involved in crime, and that can lead to further engagement in the criminal justice system and criminal activities upon release.