Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach for the opportunity to have the debate and I thank all of the Senators who have made a contribution on this very important topic. It is clear from the contributions that this issue is one of great importance to Members of this House. All would agree that we must continue to provide opportunities for young people to contribute to society in a productive and meaningful way. We all have that shared interest.

It is also clear from the contributions that this cannot be achieved by one Department or agency working in isolation. It must come through a whole-of-government approach and our Department, for example, is working with colleagues in all of the relevant Departments and agencies at national and local levels in six potential pilot areas to implement the no wrong door principle. The idea is that we will map the availability of current services in each of these areas, map the target group of young people in the area, identify the gaps in necessary services and bring all relevant statutory and voluntary services together to provide a joint response to the need and challenges of families in that particular area.

I have spoken at length about the benefits of youth diversion and youth diversion projects and I want to stress and reiterate to Members that diversion is not about people avoiding punishment or consequences. I alluded earlier to the fact that we now have 93 youth diversion projects spanning the country which now gives us 100% nationwide coverage, which is really important. Today, for example, I visited County Laois and I met with the team in Foróige in Portlaoise who offer and roll out the youth diversion project in the county. I heard of the very positive contribution they are making to their local community. Tomorrow, I will be in Clonmel and will meet the team there. The very first youth diversion project I met was in my own constituency back last February when I was appointed to this job. I was delighted to visit the town of Rathkeale, which was mentioned earlier, where we relaunched a newly merged and expanded youth diversion project for County Limerick which I, as a representative for the area, know is doing immense work in the communities right across west Limerick and further afield. I compliment the manager there, Richie Bowens, Kirsty Boucher and their team and, of course, An Garda Síochána Superintendent Michael Fleming and his team, who do outstanding work, along with their juvenile liaison officers. I mentioned the Children Act, and I reiterate that that Act requires all child offenders to be considered for diversion, with prosecution only for serious offences or prolific reoffending. The most serious offences are subject to a formal criminal investigation and are referred to the DPP, but it is important that each child is assessed and each case considered on its merits.

The youth justice strategy is now reaching its midway point. The operation of the Garda youth diversion programme is kept under constant review by An Garda Síochána and our own Department of Justice. This has included, during the development of the current youth justice strategy, examination of all recommendations on youth justice issues that have been raised in previous reports or in discussions with relevant stakeholders.

It is important that the victims' voices are heard, and we know that where children are the offenders, victims very often want to be heard, to hear remorse and to be assured it will not happen again. Restorative justice is embedded in the work of our juvenile liaison officers and the youth diversion project staff. The Children Act provides for the presence of a victim at a formal caution, where the young person accepts responsibility for their offending behaviour. Where An Garda Síochána directs that a restorative caution be administered, this is an opportunity for a child’s behaviour to be addressed in a way that holds the child accountable while ensuring the victim experiences validation and recognition for the harm. By validating the victim’s experience and by reintegrating the child back into their community, restorative justice is associated with more positive outcomes for the victim and better outcomes for the offender, with a lower risk of reoffending. The restorative caution was utilised in almost 300 referrals to the youth diversion programme by An Garda Síochána in 2024.

I know everyone in this House values the role of An Garda Síochána in positively influencing the lives of young people, particularly community gardaí, who do incredible work throughout the country by engaging meaningfully with young people to develop and foster positive relationships and promote personal and community safety. Whether it is running late-night soccer leagues for young people in Dublin's inner city, visiting local schools or just being a visible and approachable figure in the community, the impact of community gardaí is immeasurable. I also want to commend the work of our Garda juvenile liaison officers, who are present in every Garda division in the country and have a central role working with young people throughout the youth diversion programme. Youth diversion not only helps the young person but also helps to make our communities safer by reducing the types of offending that can make people feel unsafe. More broadly, the Government is introducing a new approach to help communities put solutions in place to deal with their own specific safety concerns.

The Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, recently commenced the landmark Policing, Security and Community Safety Act, which will provide for the establishment of local community safety partnerships throughout the country. These partnerships will bring together local stakeholders with Government agencies and An Garda Síochána to create a community safety plan tailored to their needs. The plans will assign ownership to the appropriate State body to address each concern, whether it be additional street cleaning, better public lighting by the local authority or increased Garda engagement in a particular area. Nobody understands the needs of a community better than the community itself, and these partnerships will complement the work of our youth diversion projects in providing accessible services that young people want to engage with. The Act also provides for a national office for community safety, and a function of this office is to provide training, guidance and support to these partnerships. In preparation for the establishment of the national office, a number of staff, including a director designate, have been appointed. These staff are engaging directly with local authorities and other stakeholders to support the establishment of the partnerships.These tailored approaches to community safety will address the specific needs of our young people, ensuring no one is left behind. By doing so, we will strengthen the fabric of our society and create a more inclusive environment where every young person has the chance to thrive.

The community safety fund run by the Department also plays a central role in supporting our communities. The fund was established in 2021 to reinvest money seized from the proceeds of crime in new innovative community safety projects, a number of which focus on youth justice and supporting young people in the community. It highlights the great work by An Garda Síochána and the Criminal Assets Bureau in identifying and seizing these ill-gotten gains. It puts that money back into local communities for the benefit and support of those who need it most.

We have seen incredible work by people throughout the country to improve the lives of our young people. It is a reflection that when it comes to our young people, it truly takes a village. Every young person deserves the opportunity to improve their quality of life. They deserve to have choices and to be enabled to make better life decisions. However, we cannot afford to be complacent. Too many children with complex backgrounds and needs still come to Garda attention. We must continue to focus on working with children already involved in crime and antisocial behaviour or who are at risk of being groomed by criminal gangs so that we can pull them back and give them a better pathway in life. I assure the House we will continue to strive to improve the quality of these children's lives and the lives of everyone in their communities in line with our youth justice strategy.

I thank the Cathaoirleach and all Senators for their contributions to this debate. As the Minister of State, I look forward to further engagement with them on this matter.