Ms Una Doyle:

My colleague referred to probation practices and restorative justice. We see restorative justice as an integral part of probation practice. In terms of the investment, in response to the direct question asked, in recent years we have invested in continuing professional development for our front-line probation officers for the delivery of restorative justice interventions as part of their work in both assessments for court and case management, working with people who are referred to us. I refer to both adults and children in that regard.

The Children Act provides for a family conference, which is very much in the ethos of looking at a restorative model of practice. In any of our work with young people referred to us, and annually we would get about 500, we would always seek a restorative intervention, be it at report stage or during a supervision order. Similarly, we would do so with adults, as I said. As a community-facing organisation, we fund in excess of 60 community-based organisations nationwide, three of which are dedicated restorative justice services. A number of our other community-based projects either deliver restorative justice services on our behalf or engage in restorative practices as part of the value base and culture they are trying to display in terms of the work they do with the young people on their books.

Restorative practices and restorative justice in particular speak to repair the harm caused by offending. That is one of the key themes that has come through in the presentations this morning - including the relevant stakeholders in the solution. Restorative justice does this. It has benefits for the offender in terms of developing empathy, understanding and knowing the consequences of his or her behaviour. It also holds him or her to account, but it does so in a very safe and structured manner.

Similarly, restorative justice done well enables victims of crime to feel that they have a proactive and positive role to play in a very safe way in responding to the harm that was caused to them. That has a ripple effect in the context of the community. That is also very important in developing those practices and responses.