Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 5 October 2016

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs

Operations of Oberstown Children Detention Centre

9:00 am

Mr. Pat Bergin:

To clarify the Garda question, if someone wants to contact the Garda to make a complaint, staff have a right to do so. Staff do not have a right to ring gardaí and ask them to come onto campus. That has been clearly stated. Bringing gardaí onto campus is a matter for the director or a designate who may request the support or intervention of gardaí in the operation of the campus. If a member of staff wants to contact the Garda about a complaint or an issue, he or she has a right to do so. I have no difficulty with that.