David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his support and sincerity on these matters, which I welcome. With respect to victims, and in addition to the sincere apology issued by the Commissioner, gardaí have commenced a process to contact victims and provided a helpline for anyone affected by the failure to process these cases. Clearly, all relevant information must be made available to victims, including the steps being taken to deal with the failures which have occurred. It is very concerning that there were repeated failures in the cases of some prolific young offenders. Justice was not done for the victims or for the young offenders whose behaviour should have been challenged repeatedly. The issues raised in the report highlight the fact that many young offenders are themselves vulnerable individuals and underline the need to address offending in a strategic multi-agency manner as recommended by the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland. I take this opportunity to commend the Commissioner on the work he and his team have done to date to deal with this very serious matter. I commend the Policing Authority also for the professional way it continues to handle the matter.

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