Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail)

I wish to share my time with Senator Comyn. We will take four minutes each. I welcome the Minister of State to the House this afternoon. I listened to his contribution with interest. It was very positive and very much to be welcomed. Community safety is in all of our interests and should be a top priority for us all.Anything that supports young people, particularly those who are in need of support, is something for which we all strive. The youth justice strategy is designed to address the challenge faced by many young people and their families. It is a very positive story, as the Minister of State outlined. At the time of the introduction of the Children Act in 2001, some 30,000 children committed crimes each year and embarked on a dark road that no one wanted to see them travel. By 2016, that figure had reduced to approximately 10,000 and, as the Minister of State outlined, the most recent figures show it had reduced to approximately 7,800 in 2023. That is a hugely positive story when we consider the striking increase in the country's population over the past 24 years.

We all know early intervention is key and that is where success or otherwise is achieved. Thankfully, the community gets funds invested in this particular area back in spadefuls. I know a key initiative in the current strategy is the development and enhancement of youth diversion projects. As the Minister of State outlined, these projects seek to direct young people who become involved in crime and antisocial behaviour and support wider prevention work within communities and, in particular, within families. None of us want to see any young person go down that dark road to which I referred. None of us want to see the stress it brings to the wider family and the hardship it brings to communities. Youth diversion is very much a good news story and a positive story.

I know young people in my community who went down that dark road but with the intervention of the youth diversion programme, they turned back. That was hugely positive and they have all grown and become the best people they can be. It was a hugely positive experience for me to witness that. If it is positive for me, I can only imagine how positive it is for the young people concerned and for their families because this can be a very stressful experience of all.

The Minister of State cited the figures for Government investment. In 2020, we were investing approximately €18 million in this area. In budget 2025, it is projected that figure will rise to €36 million. That is money very well spent. As the Minister of State said, we will get that investment back in spadefuls as a community.

I welcome that more support will be given to young people who are the hardest to reach from an early age. These are the eight- to 11-year-olds who may be at risk of becoming involved in criminal activity. I know before the end of this particular cycle, the plan is to expand that to 18- to 24-year-olds, which is a very positive development and one I look forward to.

The landmark Policing, Security and Community Safety Act will provide for the establishment of local community safety partnerships throughout the country. These partnerships will complement the work of the youth diversion project, providing accessible services that young people want to engage in.

The Act also provides for a national office for community safety, which will address the specific needs of young people, ensuring that no one is left behind. Too many children with complex backgrounds and needs still come to Garda attention. We must continue to strive to improve their quality of life with everyone else in their communities and in line with the youth justice strategy.

In summary, I thank the Minister of State for his presentation. It is one of the most positive we have had the pleasure to listen to in this House. Every euro spent in this area is money well spent.