Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 4 November 2025

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration

General Scheme of the Children (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion

2:00 am

Garret Kelleher (Fine Gael)

I thank Ms McAllorum Ryan very much for that. Following on from that, I turn to a point made by Mr. Egan in his response to Deputy Gannon. He made reference to the fact that being in detention can be looked upon as being criminogenic, in other words, that it would be a cause or a likely cause of engaging in future criminal behaviour. In respect of the environments Mr. Egan discussed in response to Deputy Gannon concerning areas of social deprivation, he made particular reference to a higher proportion of people with neurodivergence and that they would be more susceptible to the grooming that can take place. Surely that type of environment is every bit as criminogenic. I would like to hear Mr. Egan's views on the alternative of maybe putting more focus on restorative justice.

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