Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 262: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will report on his contacts with the restorative justice services in Tallaght; and, if based on the success of the initiative, the service will be duplicated throughout the country. [18749/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I was pleased to be invited, on Thursday last, 11th May, to launch the 2005 Report of Restorative Justice Services at The Iona Centre in Knocklyon. As the Deputy will be aware, the Report shows that some 100 cases were referred to the Reparation Programme in 2005 and 97 offenders successfully completed their contracts. I think the Deputy will share the view that the success of this project in Tallaght shows in a very positive way what can be achieved when all the stakeholders — the community, the Judiciary, An Garda Síochána and the Probation and Welfare Service — work together in a cohesive and partnership model.

I am pleased that I have been able to support this project in a very practical way by funding the project. This year I will be contributing €320,000 to the costs. Indeed, I have also been able to contribute to the costs associated with finding better accommodation for the project.

The Deputy will also be familiar with my view that Restorative Justice is an important element in the way we deal with offending behaviour. I am committed to fostering and developing further such initiatives over time. We must, of course, learn from the experience of how restorative justice has worked both here in Ireland — in Tallaght and Nenagh — and also look to international developments so that future expansion of the restorative justice model will be guided by best practice. That is why I am pleased to say that the Probation and Welfare Service of my Department is to undertake a review of best practice in this area. I welcome this planned review and no doubt, the findings will feed in to the future expansion and development of restorative justice initiatives in Ireland.