James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the Senators for their very constructive approach and comments. The amendment process in both Houses has helped to improve the Bill.

All 16-year-olds who need to be detained are to be in Oberstown from 2016. We have been moving incrementally towards this point. This is a very important Bill. It will end the legislative process required to ensure children no longer end up in adult prisons. That was a real challenge and issue for us. One of the big problems in Oberstown was that some children were coming back to that campus from the prison system and bringing with them knowledge that we might prefer they did not have. It was quite disruptive, considering the ethos of rehabilitation and education in Oberstown. Therefore, I really welcome the development today. I thank everybody for their support. I reassure Senators that this is a dynamic situation. As Senator Moran stated, it will continue to evolve and there will be new challenges. We will continually learn more and refine the process as we learn.

With regard to Senator van Turnhout's concerns about 17-year-olds being bigger physically than young children, very often the younger children can be more problematic than the older children. Age is no guarantee of physical prowess either. There are, of course, many issues that result in children finding themselves in positions in which the courts have no option but to send them into detention, but some of those issues spring from mental health problems that have not been addressed or family crises and circumstances that might have been avoided had there been earlier intervention. We are examining the whole range of community facilities and supports to ensure detention is truly the last resort. Detention centres are not places we want children to be if we can avoid it. I hope there will never be any need to expand the current capacity of the institution as we focus on ensuring that children who find themselves in trouble or receive the supports they need in the community.

Again, I thank the Senators for their support. I am very glad the Bill is to be passed.