Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 262: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the person who is responsible for the plan and orderly transfer of a centre (details supplied) in Dublin 11 to the Oberstown campus, County Dublin; the management structure proposed and the director of this facility; if there will be a review of the whole service prior to the amalgamation of the centre into Oberstown; if the assessment service, as offered by this centre, will be kept as a separate service in the Oberstown campus, as recommended by the working group in view of the fact that this service is internationally known and respected by the Courts as unique in its approach to young people; the proposed number of young people to be facilitated at the campus with regard to the primary care of the young people; if the best practice, as offered by the centre, will be continued within the proposed living facilities offered at the Oberstown campus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40120/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Deputy will be aware that the Government approved proposals in March, 2008 to develop national children detention facilities to be located on the existing State-owned Oberstown campus near Lusk, Co. Dublin. The Government also approved the establishment of a cross-Departmental Working Group to consider the possible future role for Finglas Child and Adolescent Centre (FCAC), the only children detention school not currently located on the Oberstown campus.

The Working Group presented its report earlier this year (available at www.iyjs.ie) and I have accepted its recommendations. This will involve the closure of the Centre, which will be completed by the end of March 2010, and the transfer in the meantime of all children, staff and services from FCAC to the Oberstown campus.

The Irish Youth Justice Service (IYJS), an executive office of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and part of my Office, is responsible for managing the four Children Detention Schools. Working with the Directors and senior management of all four Schools, the IYJS is now planning for the development of an integrated unified detention school service based in Oberstown. This is in line with the Government decision to build new children detention facilities there which will provide the full range of remand, assessment and detention services for all young offenders remanded or detained by the courts. It will provide all of the services currently provided by the FCAC.

To this end, the IYJS is currently working on implementing a strategy for the future integration of the Schools. I am pleased to say that the Directors of the four Schools have each taken on additional cross-campus responsibilities in preparation for integration. Working closely with the IYJS, the Directors are now leading on and developing proposals for the future management, staffing and operational needs of the Schools. In the meantime, discussions, facilitated by the Labour Relations Commission, are due to commence in the next fortnight with some of the Unions representing the staff in Finglas on the closure of the Centre, the transition to Oberstown and the arrangements that need to be made.

As regards the assessment service, rather than keep it as a separate service, the Working Group was of the view that the experience and skills of FCAC staff will form a necessary part of an integrated detention school in Oberstown. The Group also recommended that further work should be carried out to identify and develop the appropriate range of assessment services for detained children in the new facility at Oberstown and for all other young people, offending or non-offending, in the community. Building on the expertise already available and working with the key people involved, I understand that the IYJS will be undertaking this work as quickly as possible.

The IYJS is also responsible for providing safe and secure accommodation for children detained by the courts. As things stand, there are more than enough bed places in Oberstown to accommodate the children currently detained in FCAC, and that has been the case for some time now. I am satisfied that the IYJS will be in a position to provide sufficient places within the existing detention school facilities in Oberstown to meet the needs of the courts for the detention of young offenders and, where appropriate, assessment.