Seanad debates
Wednesday, 27 November 2002
Order of Business.
In relation to a substantive matter, will the Leader find out from the Government, particularly the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the reasoning behind its decision to close the youth offenders centre at Shanganagh in south County Dublin? This is a retrograde step. The lack of available spaces for young offenders is a scandal. The Minister proposes to close a further 20 places at the disposal of the juvenile justice service for young people out of control. I ask the Leader to ask the Minister to reconsider this proposal. It is wrong in the extreme that he should be deciding to asset strip various parts of the prison system in order to make up for shortfalls in funding in his Department. I ask the Leader to express this view to the Minister, given the fact that crime figures announced yesterday show a substantial rise in the level of serious and juvenile crime. We need adequate, well resourced places in our prison system for young offenders. Taking away a further 20 such places at this stage is a retrograde step.
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