Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

At a recent meeting of the Joint Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, we had an opportunity to hear from the incoming chairperson of Oberstown Children Detention Campus, Ms Koulla Yiasouma. I really hope I am pronouncing her name correctly. She comes to the role with a great deal of experience and an extremely positive attitude, and she will be really effective in the role. The committee members hope to visit Oberstown, possibly after the recess. We discussed the fact that children who find themselves in Oberstown will often have experienced childhood abuse or trauma, or will have suffered from or witnessed domestic abuse, parental ill health, or parental drug or alcohol misuse, all of which will not have been addressed in their lives. We discovered that in the majority of cases, children found themselves in a detention centre because they were abused or severely failed by an adult or the system. More often than not, they came from a socially and economically deprived area. Basically, the odds were against them from the outset.

Along with my colleagues, I welcome this Bill. I echo their view that a maximum sentence of ten years is more appropriate to adequately reflect the seriousness of the offence of engaging children in crime. Setting this out as a prosecutable offence in its own right is a positive move. It is a question of intervening in time and providing early intervention and supports. This is key because we are talking about children, and early intervention is key. Deputies Ward and Daly will work with the Government effectively to improve this important legislation. It is crucial that we use our influence as legislators to make laws that go after the people who force children into a life of crime.

I want to touch on early intervention, which I believe is key. My local gardaí in Kilkenny and Carlow have programmes related to the youth diversion programme. They are so important. The gardaí try to intervene to ensure families and children are supported so they may have lives with opportunities.

I mention the school completion programme regularly and believe it is undervalued. Its intervention is so effective for children and its approach is very subtle, being all about the child. One thing that makes it very different is that it is based on the child and the child's needs. There is a range of circumstances that can result in intervention in the case of a child.

There could be a case where it was not deemed appropriate or sufficiently serious for services like Tusla to intervene, but the school completion programme will intervene and help with homework clubs, breakfast clubs, play therapy, counselling, etc. It can be the difference between a child leaving school and staying in education, which will give him or her a much better outcome.

I support the Bill. I share others' concerns about the length of time involved. I urge the Minister of State and others to consider programmes like school completion, which runs on a shoestring budget, and how they can be helped to support children and communities.

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