Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----so we can meet our obligations to these young people and to the courts.

There is quite a lot of movement of young people in and out of the service and beds become available on a regular basis but the number of referrals from the courts has increased. The average number of 16 year olds in St. Patrick's detention centre was ten but in recent weeks 17 have been referred there by the courts.

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