Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 632: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the requirements which are set out in the Children Act 2001 regarding the services to be supplied in day centres; the changes which were required to be made in the services supplied by a project (details supplied) in Dublin 11 for compliance purposes; the period and resources which were provided to this project to facilitate the required changes in service required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10456/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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For the purposes of section 9, Part 118 of the Children Act 2001, the Minister shall provide or arrange for the provision of a sufficient number of places for use as day centres which shall be operated, either by the probation and welfare service or by any body with the approval and assistance of that service. Before any place or part thereof may be used as a day centre, the principal probation and welfare officer shall inspect it and if he or she considers that the place is suitable for such use, certify in writing accordingly.

A court may order that a child shall attend at a specified day centre for the purpose of participating in an occupation or activity, or receiving instruction, which is suitable and beneficial for him or her. The child may participate in any such occupation or activity, or receive any such instruction, under supervision outside the day centre.

The project in question was a community-based, day assessment centre which offered an assessment service to young people from Finglas, Ballymun and surrounding areas. The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, through the probation and welfare service, commenced funding the project on 1 January 2004. During 2004 the project received current funding of €400,000 and it received a further grant of €300,000 in 2005. It was anticipated that the project would become a pilot day centre as provided for under the Children Act 2001. To this end, the Department agreed to fund the project on condition, inter alia, that the project would be a pilot for day centres, provided for under the Children Act 2001; referrals to the project would be from the courts; and the project would work to its full capacity, that is, five young people in attendance at any given time.

Unfortunately, since January 2004 until its closure in December 2005, the project only dealt with six referrals of young people who were before the courts. The board of management recognised this was an unsustainable position and at a meeting held on 2 December 2005 the board concluded the project was no longer viable and the company would cease trading on 8 December 2005.