Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 239: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to outline the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to double the number of Garda youth diversion projects and fund the development of other programmes for children who offend. [20368/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The target envisaged under the Agreed Programme for Government for the number of Garda Youth Diversion Projects is 168 by 2012. The interim target of 100 projects by the end of 2007 was achieved, with 29 new projects established that year. The Garda Commissioner has indicated that it is anticipated that between 15 and 16 projects will be recommended for establishment each year over the next four years and that applications for 2008 will be forwarded to me later in the year.

The recently published National Youth Justice Strategy 2008-2010 details the plans for the development of complementary programmes to the existing Garda projects. The first step is an audit of existing programmes and the identification of any gaps. This stage will be completed by the end of 2008 and the development of new initiatives will be considered at that stage.