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

On 28 February 2015, there were 774 prisoners in custody under the age of 25. This represents 20% of the total prisoner population of 3,780 on that day. It also represents a 25% decrease when compared with the same date in 2012.

This reduction is due to several factors, including the successful implementation of the Children Act 2001 and the very successful Garda diversion programmes in place throughout the country. We intend to expand that programme this year. Other factors in the reduction in prisoner numbers are the successful supervision of young offenders by the young persons probation service and the provision by the Health Service Executive of high support and special care units, which act as a diversion for complex cases. The children in these units are now receiving more appropriate care than they would have done in the past.

The primary role of the Irish Prison Service is to provide safe and secure custody for prisoners. The service must accept all persons committed by the courts into custody and does not have the option of refusing committals. The service collates and publishes excellent statistical data on a daily, monthly and a quarterly basis, and the data are available on its website.

Responsibility for 16 year old males was assigned to the Oberstown campus in 2012. I take this opportunity to thank the Inspector of Prisons and Places of Detention for his ongoing work in this area. In line with his recommendations to effect changes in regime and culture and ensure the safe and secure custody of juvenile and young adult offenders, a Government decision was taken to close St. Patrick's Institution and invest €56 million in the Oberstown campus.

All 17 year old males currently serving a sentence are in custody in Wheatfield Place of Detention, which focuses on the provision of a comprehensive work and training programme for all offenders, specifically targeting those prisoners aged 21 years and younger.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

Males of 18 years and older may be sentenced to any committal prison, at the direction of the presiding judge. Prisoners aged 18 years or older may also be transferred from Wheatfield Place of Detention to other prisons for family and other compassionate reasons.

With effect from last Monday, 30 March 2015, the Oberstown Campus is receiving 17 year old males who are remanded in custody. Such children were previously remanded to St. Patrick's Institution, which has long been a matter of concern. Responsibility for the remand of 17 year old males on new remand warrants is now assigned to Oberstown. However, all 17 year old children currently remanded in custody in St. Patrick's will remain there until the expiration of their current remand order. The Irish Prison Service has prepared a contingency plan, where it may be unavoidable that a child has to be temporarily remanded in custody to St. Patrick's Institution, and any such case will be actively managed by close co-ordination with the Irish Youth Justice Service. This is an important further step towards the implementation of the programme for Government commitment to end the detention of children in adult facilities.

In co-operation with the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, I am anxious to ensure the ending of the practice at the earliest possible date of detaining children in adult prison facilities. I have requested the various agencies concerned in the criminal justice system to co-operate closely in the implementation of this measure. These arrangements will apply until additional facilities have been opened in Oberstown and the Children Act 2001 has been amended during 2015, which will enable the full transfer of responsibility for 17 year old males to the Oberstown Campus, including 17 year olds who are serving a sentence in Wheatfield Place of Detention.

The statistics requested by the Deputy are set out in the following table.

Table 1 - Prisoners aged 17-24 by location

Prison	17	18-20	21-24	Total
Arbour Hill Prison	0	0	8	8
Castlerea Prison	0	22	55	77
Cloverhill Remand Prison	0	30	50	80
Cork Prison	0	24	32	56
Limerick Prison (Female)	0	2	4	6
Limerick Prison (Male)	0	14	48	62
Loughan House	0	2	17	19
Midlands Prison	0	32	97	129
Mountjoy Prison (Female)	0	5	7	12
Mountjoy Prison (Male)	0	9	96	105
Portlaoise Prison	0	3	33	36
Shelton Abbey	0	0	13	13
St. Patrick's Institution	6	1	0	7
The Training Unit	0	3	8	11
Wheatfield Place of Detention	13	68	72	153
Total	19	215	540	774

See this speech in context