Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 8: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason the proposed new national child detention facility for young offenders at Lusk, County Dublin, will not be fully completed until 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40311/08]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In March 2008, the Government approved the development of new national children detention facilities on the Oberstown campus near Lusk, County Dublin. The Government decision was informed by the report of the expert group on children detention schools, which is available on www.iyjs.ie.

The development will increase the accommodation capacity in the detention school service from 77 to 167 places and will be required to be carried out in phases to ensure the existing facilities continue to operate and make detention places available to the courts until the new accommodation is available. There are already three detention schools on the site and the proposed development will involve the demolition of some existing buildings on site and the retention of others but will consist mainly of newly constructed facilities. The timeframe for the construction period will be kept under review and will be influenced by the detailed information from the design team and the market conditions for the construction sector.

Planning for the development is under way and the appointment of a design team will be made shortly. The team will be required to advise on architectural, construction and engineering matters, to deliver high quality designs and to manage the construction of modern, state-of-the-art facilities. The design team will include, but is not limited to, expertise in architecture, construction project management, planning, health and safety, fire safety, cost estimation and control, and engineering and building services.

After the design of the new facilities has been completed during 2009, a tendering process will be undertaken to progress the construction element of the project, the first phase of which is estimated for completion in 2012. This will provide 80 places to accommodate 16 and 17 year old boys in order to remove this age group from St. Patrick's Institution and to facilitate the transfer of boys from the existing Oberstown boys school buildings.

The second phase, which is envisaged for completion in 2014, will entail the demolition of the buildings currently housing Oberstown boys school and the long-term unit of Oberstown girls school, as well as several other buildings. This phase will also involve the construction of facilities for 57 young people. Some of the existing buildings, including Trinity House school, will be retained, providing a total of 167 places when both stages of the project are completed. With the completion of each phase of this development, the children detention schools will provide excellent accommodation and facilities which will facilitate the rehabilitation of youths sent there by the courts.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

The project is being overseen by the Irish youth justice service, IYJS, an executive office in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, which has responsibility for a wide range of youth justice matters, including the children detention schools. Advice and supports for this project are being provided to the IYJS from several sources, including the Office of Public Works and the National Development Finance Agency. In preparing for the development, in line with Department of Finance guidelines for capital projects and with good practice, the IYJS will establish a project board to ensure robust governance and accountability are in place. The board will report directly to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

The cost of the project will be met from national development plan and Exchequer sources. I am pleased to report that the Government has made adequate capital provision in the 2009 Estimates to progress this project.

Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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In the current economic climate, does this project remain a priority for the Department? Does the Minister of State envisage it will go ahead as planned? He stated in reply to a previous parliamentary question of mine that the closing date for tenders would be 8 August 2008. That date has come and gone. Have tenders been submitted? The Minister of State also said that he expects the design process to be completed by early 2009, which is only some months away. Has the Irish youth justice service completed its consultation with the various stakeholders in the design process?

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As I have stated in reply to another parliamentary question on this matter today, a request for tenders for a full design team to develop new children's facilities at Lusk was published on the eTenders website in June 2002. Eleven bids were received but the evaluation team informed the IYJS that there were difficulties with the tendering process. It was decided at that point to terminate the process. The Office of Public Works has now taken on the role of the design team, which will allow for some savings. It will work on the design element of the project, after which it will be put out to tender. The process began with tendering for a design team and the next step is to tender for construction. As I said, the OPW has taken over that role and we are safe in terms of the general procurement issues.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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When will construction commence? Does it make economic sense to build a small facility such as this over five years? What will happen in the interim to young offenders suitable for accommodation at Lusk?

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The first phase of construction is due to be completed by 2012. The tendering process for the appointment of a construction company is due to be completed by mid-2009, and I envisage that construction will commence soon thereafter. The first phase, providing 80 places, will be completed in 2012 and the second phase in 2014. The two phases are designed to ensure there will be a smooth transfer of people from St. Patrick's Institution, in the first instance, and, after that, from the older buildings that will be demolished. As I said, Trinity House will be retained and the other buildings will be replaced.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Will this project be funded directly by the Exchequer or is it a public private partnership? How will the growing number of young offenders be accommodated in the interim?

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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It is not a public private partnership. A capital allocation of €12 million has been set aside for 2009 to continue this project. Young offenders will be accommodated in St. Patrick's Institution until such time as this facility is available. If there is a gap between the completion of this facility and the closure of St. Patrick's Institution, we will, as indicated previously, try to ensure there is availability in Thornton Hall. We envisage this will be a temporary arrangement.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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If a capital allocation of €12 million has been set aside for next year but no construction work is anticipated, is this amount allocated purely for the design phase? Once the facility at Lusk is in place, will the Minister of State guarantee that children serving sentences long enough to bring them into their majority years, thus rendering them ineligible to serve the latter part of their sentences in Lusk, will not be sent directly to Thornton Hall but will be allowed instead to serve the earlier portion of their sentence in Lusk?

Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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When exactly will construction commence? Rome was not built in a day but a timeframe of six years to build a complex to house 167 people seems excessive.

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As I said, a capital allocation of €12 million has been made for 2009, and it is envisaged to commence construction next year. However, it is a complex site in terms of demolition, retention and the transfer and continuation of operations. It is not like a greenfield site where one is building brick upon brick.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Is the €12 million allocation included in the Department's budget or in the budget of the Office of Public Works?

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Subject to clarification, it is contained in the Department's budget.

If there is a delay in the opening of Thornton Hall, as may be the case, the danger of having to house young people there will be obviated. It is envisaged that St. Patrick's Institution will close at the same time as this project is completed.

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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All the young people concerned will be over 18 years of age by the time Thornton Hall is accommodating anybody.

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Flanagan is being very negative. Perhaps he does not want it to be built at all.