Tony Kett (Fianna Fail)

The provision of literacy programmes in the education system is a basic requirement. If one is illiterate, one cannot avail of the other educational advantages that might be available. Many of these young people have low self-esteem and if one has low self-esteem, one does not respect oneself or society. These are all issues the Minister has tackled at different levels in his time in office. I have no doubt we are tackling them by degrees.

I strongly support the view, one the Minister has echoed at different times, that we must regard imprisonment as a last resort. Those in prison, in the main, have been marginalised. It was said at one time that one only had to look at someone's postal address to realise how they would end up. Unfortunately, that is still the case because disadvantage breeds disadvantage. It is why these young people have ended up where they are. It is incumbent on all of us to ensure that we do what we can to change the position to bring about a change for them.

We are also dealing with an expanding population. I heard Opposition Members say that we should not consider increasing our current prison spaces. In 30 years' time we probably will have a population of 8 million as distinct from a current population of more than 4 million. It is naive in the extreme to think that we will not require more prison spaces.

The Judiciary must also play its part. If the Judiciary, in dealing with cases, determines that young people can be kept out of prison rather than put into it, there is an onus on us to fund alternatives such as probation, supervision and restorative justice services, which the Minister is doing. We have seen the level of financial commitment the Minister has given to a range of areas in the system since his time in office. I have no doubt that will continue,

I applaud what the Minister is doing in the Bill. It will substantially improve, in a practical way, the existing elements of the justice system. I wish it well in its passage through the House.