Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 8 November 2017

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs

HIQA Inspection of the Oberstown Children's Detention Campus: Discussion

9:30 am

Mr. Pat Bergin:

It is important to bear in mind that the five reviews cover specific elements. They are not all reviews of Oberstown per se; they are reviews of elements of Oberstown. For example, we had a health and safety review and a behaviour management review. It is important to stress that the reviews were targeted to enable the experts who know best to advise us on them. The Deputy also asked about issues relating to doors. There are doors arriving today. It has taken us a long time to get doors that meet the appropriate fire standards, etc. It has been complicated because of the nature of the campus. We need to make sure our doors are fire-compliant and fit for security purposes. These are ongoing issues. While it might seem simple to get a door for a room, it is not quite as simple when consideration is given to the complexities that are part and parcel of what we are doing. Progress is being made with all of these matters. Some of them have been closed off. Some of them are still in motion. My job is to make sure the facility is safe, its standards are high and everybody, including myself, is held to account in the context of what we are supposed to be doing.