Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The key to addressing the diversion of young people from criminality is the provision of services right across the whole spectrum including education, health, community, and recreation services and, of course, employment. Those services must be properly funded and staffed. As others have said, this is not cheap but society gets back in spades what it gives in funding for these services. These services are not just self-financing; society get back in spades what it puts into them. Talk of diverting at the teenage stage is simply too late. We need to start with the provision of these services at community crèches with the provision of childcare services. I acknowledge the work done by huge numbers of volunteers right across the country, particularly in community organisations, recreational services and sports clubs. I am well aware of the great work being done by the community childcare facility in my own home town of Clonmel, Clever Clogs in Elm Park, which provides a high-quality service. I salute the manager there, Ms Clare McDermott, and her staff for the work they do. I am also involved in sporting clubs, including Old Bridge Football Club, which is based in the community and provides activities and a vital service for young people. Community organisations such as the Waterford and Tipperary Community Youth Service provide invaluable services to young people. In the context of our education services, transition year students are involved in the community, not just in south Tipperary, but throughout the country.

Community gardaí have been mentioned and they are a vital element in this area. They work in the community, become involved with community services, local sports clubs and community organisations. They know families and the young people on the ground and form relationships and friendships with them. They can identify early on the difficulties that might arise down the road and can divert young people away from criminal and antisocial activity. There is an obvious and established link between criminality and poverty, mental health problems, addiction to both alcohol and drugs, as well as domestic violence. I want to refer to the Le Chéile mentoring programme in particular, which is hugely successful and beneficial. It caters for young people between the ages of 12 and 24 who are usually referred to it through the Garda youth diversion programme. These are young people who have either committed an offence or are at risk of committing an offence. The programme provides a one-to-one mentoring service on a weekly basis for approximately three hours per week. The idea is that the mentor is a role model for the young person.

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