Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 432: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of places available in the Dublin area for children who are out of control, and who have received custodial sentences from the courts; the number of residential places provided in each year over the past ten years; the existing waiting lists for such places for persons who have gone through the courts system and who are under the age of 18; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14310/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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Responsibility for the provision of spaces for young offenders committed to custody when they are under the age of 16 years lies with my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science. I have general responsibility for the provision of spaces for persons committed to custody once they are 16 years of age or over. However, while offenders under the age of 15 years cannot be committed to a prison under any circumstances, 15 year old male offenders and 15 and 16 year old female offenders can be committed to a prison falling under my area of responsibility in exceptional circumstances. This can occur only in cases where the court certifies under the provisions of sections 97 and 102 of the Children Act 1908 that the young person is so unruly or depraved of character that he or she cannot be detained in a place of detention provided under Part V of the Act.

St. Patrick's Institution is a closed institution reserved in law exclusively for male offenders aged 16 to 21 years and has bed capacity for 220 prisoners, a figure which has increased from one of 172 in the mid-1990s. In addition, each of the prisons in the State can accommodate persons aged 17 years and over. As the prison system must accommodate all those committed to its custody from the courts, it does not, therefore, operate on a waiting list system.

With these provisions in mind, 19 male offenders aged 16 years of age were in custody on 3 May 2005. Each of these persons was detained in St. Patrick's Institution. In addition, 49 male offenders aged 17 years of age were in custody on that date. Their whereabouts are set out in the following table. On the same date no female juveniles were in the prison system.

In the Dublin area, it is hoped to provide a new children detention centre as part of the planned new prison complex to replace the current institutions on the Mountjoy site, including St. Patrick's Institution. As regards facilities outside Dublin, I have announced that the new prison complex to replace Cork Prison will also include a stand-alone children detention centre to accommodate both male and female offenders aged 16 and 17 years of age.