Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy will be aware that it is the responsibility of the Garda Commissioner to decide on the prioritisation and allocation of resources in the Garda Síochána. The Garda Commissioner has informed me that, at present, there are 116 juvenile liaison officer, JLO, posts approved within the Garda Síochána and 111 of these are filled on a full-time basis. Five of the posts are vacant and the selection process for the new JLOs is well under way. The Commissioner has approved the appointment of seven additional JLOs each year for the past three years and a further seven posts will be added in accordance with the targets set out in the Garda Youth and Children Strategy 2009 - 2011. This will bring the total number of approved JLO posts to 123.

It is important to note that while these officers are specifically dedicated to this service, a significant number of other gardaí are engaged in working with young people on a regular basis. This applies, in particular, to community gardaí. The Commissioner has also pointed out that Garda personnel assigned throughout the country, together with overall policing arrangements and operational strategy, are continually monitored and reviewed. Such monitoring ensures that optimum use is made of Garda resources, and the best possible Garda service is provided to the general public. Decisions with regard to the deployment of JLOs take account of a number of factors, including the number of children referred to the diversion programme over the past three years; the number of JLOs currently employed in each division; the social background of the location under consideration; the geographical size of the area to be covered by existing JLO and demographic trends.

I am sure the Deputy will agree that the diversion programme, as operated by JLOs and the Garda office for children and youth affairs, has proven to be highly successful in diverting young persons away from crime by offering guidance and support to them and their families. The latest annual report from 2008 on the effectiveness of the diversion programme is available on the websites of the Garda Síochána and the Irish Youth Justice Service.

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