Jillian van Turnhout (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister's comments are very reassuring. The penalty that is at stake here is the deprivation of liberty by loss of remission of up to 14 days. That is quite significant. It is very important that the child's voice is heard, in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, that there be due process, and that the principles of natural justice are applied. I urge the Minister to ensure, in making the regulations, that the information given to the child is in language appropriate to his or her age and understanding. That should be explicitly stated in the regulations. Sometimes bureaucracy steps in and a child might end up getting a very formal letter. It should be clearly stipulated that any communication must be in language that is appropriate to the child's age and understanding.