Dáil debates

Wednesday, 6 October 2021

The National Youth Justice Strategy 2021-2027 and Supporting Community Safety: Statements

 

2:47 pm

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

I acknowledge the fact - this has been mentioned a few times already - that I was very anxious when I was the Minister of State that we would have a strategy and plan. We pulled together the experts in 2019. There were 26 people who worked extremely hard on the strategy for more than a year I acknowledge their work. They were led by Deaglán Ó Briain, a very impressive official in the Department of Justice. Really and truly these people put their hearts and souls into this because they knew they were doing something very important.

Colleagues mentioned the importance of resources. This cannot be understated. It is hugely important. in the context of resources, throwing money at something without having a proper strategy, plan and underlying philosophy can be a waste. We have seen this over the years.

There were a few things we were very anxious to have included in the strategy, the most important of which were prevention and early intervention. It is hugely important to get in early. Primary school teachers, and teachers in créches, will tell us that they can identify children at a very young age who are suffering from adverse childhood experiences. Deputy Howlin mentioned trauma. This includes abuse, neglect, community violence, homelessness and growing up in a household where adults are experiencing mental health issues or harmful drug use. All of these can have long-lasting impacts. From my work in counselling some years ago - and I know that Deputy Lahart has been involved in this area also - I discovered that very early trauma can have a massive impact way down the line. This is why we must intervene early.

Collaboration between agencies is hugely important. Schools can often identify children who are really impacted by trauma and troubles. The youth agencies are out there, as are the Garda and the health service. They all need to work together and collaborate at a very early stage and right up along the way. We were very anxious that this would happen, and I am very glad to see it in the strategy.

I pay tribute to the Ministers of State, Deputies James Browne and Hildegarde Naughton, for launching the strategy. I was afraid that might not happen. It has happened, however, and that is great to see. There is agreement across the House that we need to drive it on now. There is a lot of good stuff in there, but it is a living document and we must work with it.

The best interests of the child must be at the forefront here. I could talk all day about this. Youth justice workers and community-based organisations are hugely important. I have been out there, and colleagues mentioned seeing communities in trauma and in conflict, with young people who are really and truly caught up with this violence and trauma, and communities that are lost. In the middle of those communities, however, quite often there are youth services, youth workers and Garda diversion projects that are doing amazing work. I have seen them. I have met with young people who have been diverted away from a certain life of crime because of the work of a significant adult in their lives. This can be the mentor who stepped in and took the place of the parent who was not there very often. That is hugely important. It is very interesting that sometimes these young people can become leaders themselves in a positive way in their own communities. I have seen where they have stepped up to the mark and started to lead their peers away from antisocial behaviour. We do need to provide services and places where our young people can go and meet because being on the street is no place for them. This is why sport is hugely important also. The Acting Chairman, Deputy Sherlock, and I have been calling for the funding relating to the sports capital programme to be at least doubled this year. This is something we really need to see happening, with more money being put into sport and young people in and outside should being encouraged to get involved in positive activities such as youth work, art and music. In my constituency, we have children for whom the system has not worked. They are now learning through music with the East Cork Music Project. It is amazing to see how they are coming on and developing. There are ways and means of doing this.

The youth services need all the support we can give them. Very often they are operating on a shoestring. They need support. They are out there at the cutting edge, meeting these young people on the streets and elsewhere and engaging with them in a very positive and proactive way. The services need to be supported and encouraged. If we can divert one child away from a life crime, we are saving that child's life. We are diverting that child from misery, hopelessness, suffering and prison further down the line. If we can start early and get in early it makes a massive difference. Positive leisure time, sports, outdoor skills, arts and cultural activities are vitally important.

The Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland mentioned co-location of services. That is something we should work towards.

I also want to make reference to the Youth-JARC programme, that is, the Joint Agency Response to Crime, which focuses on the prolific offenders. The Youth-JARC programme is a pilot project we established a number of years ago in counties Cork and Dublin and it has been quite successful.

Again, however, these are not easy answers. If there was an easy answer, we would have found it a long time ago and there is not. It is hard work. It is never giving up and staying there all the time. The doors have to be open for these children no matter where they are. I believe this strategy has huge merit.

I will also just speak for a moment on the other issue of community safety, on which I commend the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton. This is vitally important. It is something I raised recently when we had the joint policing committees. The Acting Chairman, Deputy Sherlock, and I were involved, I am sure, in quite a number of those at the start when they were in towns. The town councils disappeared, for good or for ill - that is another debate - but the joint policing committees that were established locally in the towns also went. I suggest that the Minister of State might look at her municipal districts where there is a structure in place. If the municipal districts and community safety committees could be co-located geographically, if you will, it might be a good start.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.