Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 97: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the aspects of the capital budget for juvenile justice that have been cut back in the current budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9081/08]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The capital budget for the Irish Youth Justice Service, an executive office of my Department, is €9 million in 2008. This capital allocation is in respect of spending on the 4 children detention schools for which my Department assumed responsibility on 1 March of last year. The allocation for 2008 is required to fund a range of projects across the 4 schools and to begin to fund the development of new children detention facilities for which planning is expected to commence shortly. The Government's commitment to spending in this area is set out in the Programme for Government and the National Development Plan (NDP) 2007 to 2013 both of which have identified the development of children detention facilities as a priority. Exchequer and NDP funding of €144.8 million has been allocated over the period 2008-2012 and spending has been scheduled over this 5 year period.

Work has progressed on a number of capital projects since 1 March 2007 and it is anticipated that the 2008 allocation will be spent in full with further projects due to start this year. No project in the children detention schools has been put back or reduced in scale as a result of the budgetary process.

In 2006 an Expert Group was appointed to make recommendations in relation to the development of the children detention schools. The Group's first progress report was completed in December 2006 and the final report was submitted to my colleague, Brendan Smith T.D., Minister for Children, in December 2007. The Minister has given careful consideration to the recommendations of that report and has brought proposals to Government recently. I understand that the Expert Group's Report will be published shortly and my colleague will make an announcement on the matter in due course.

In the last year, since my Department assumed responsibility, expenditure in the detention schools provided for improved facilities to all of the schools. This will ensure the extended life and continued operation of the existing buildings pending plans for redevelopment. The ongoing projects include the construction of a swimming pool to replace a derelict facility on the Oberstown campus and the upgrading of sanitary facilities at the Trinity House School building.