Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 1060: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the role his office will take in youth justice; his plans to further act on the report on the youth justice review; the Department Secretary General who is responsible for this policy implementation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1574/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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In October 2004, the Government endorsed a joint proposal from the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and from the Minister of State with responsibility for children to examine the scope for rationalising and restructuring the delivery of the State's services in the area of youth justice in accordance with the Children Act 2001. To this end, an internal project team was established charged with: conducting an overarching analytical review and scoping exercise, both nationally and internationally; consulting with stakeholders in the governmental and non-governmental sectors; bringing forward recommendations for any necessary institutional reform.

The report on the youth justice review, a copy of which has been placed in the Oireachtas Library, was examined in the social inclusion institutional framework last June. The Cabinet committee on social inclusion, CCSI, approved the thrust of the recommendations at that time. The CCSI agreed also that proposals on the legal and structural amendments necessary to give effect to the recommendations should be brought to Government before the end of the year.

On 13 December last, the Government noted the youth justice report and approved its publication. The Government agreed also to implement the report's key findings, including the establishment on a non-statutory basis of a youth justice service as an executive office of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform under the strategic direction of the new office of the Minister of State with responsibility for children. The remit of the new youth justice service is: to develop a unified youth justice policy; to devise and implement a national youth justice strategy; to manage all youth detention facilities;to manage the implementation of the Children Act 2001; to establish and administer national and local youth justice oversight arrangements.

The new measures require the transfer of legal and administrative responsibilities for the detention of offenders under 18 years from the Department of Education and Science and from the Irish Prison Service. However, the educational ethos of the children detention schools will be retained within the new structures, with a greater emphasis on vocational training to cater for the broader age group.

Other important elements agreed by Government include the establishment within the Health Service Executive of a parallel national management structure for children in need of special care and support. Responsibility for the continuation of educational services for young offenders in detention and the preparation of a global strategy on such services for all children in special residential accommodation will lie with the Department of Education and Science.

The Government also approved the drafting of the official amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill 2004 necessary to give effect to the proposals arising from the youth justice report and from other related matters. I have circulated the proposed amendments to the Human Rights Commission, the Office of the Ombudsman for Children and to the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights.

In a separate but extremely relevant decision last December, the Government established the office of the Minister of State with responsibility for children within the Department of Health and Children. The new office brings together for policy co-ordination purposes the relevant staff working on a range of functions in the Departments of Health and Children; Justice, Equality and Law Reform; and Education and Science. The youth justice service of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform will be located at the new office. The purpose in bringing various responsibilities together under one roof is to maximise the co-ordination of policies for children and young persons and to provide a strong focus in the strategic linkage of services for children and young people at the highest level.

In establishing this new policy framework, the Government also approved the appointment of Ms Sylda Langford as director general of the office of the Minister of State with responsibility for children.