Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 105: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of children and teenagers who have been placed in adult prisons since the beginning of 2006. [32228/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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There are currently no places reserved solely for juveniles in the prison system. In practice, the majority of juveniles committed to custody are detained in St. Patrick's Institution which is a closed institution reserved in law exclusively for offenders aged 16 to 21 years.

I am advised by the Director General of the Irish Prison Service that 243 persons aged under 18 years were committed to its custody during the period 1 January to 9 October, 2006. Of these, 197 persons (82%) were committed to St Patrick's Institution. The number of persons aged either 18 or 19 committed to custody during the same time period was 671.