Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 9: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position regarding the report of the expert group on children's detention services which recommends the development of 167 places for young persons detained by the courts; if the provisions of this number of places is still his objective; if not, the number of places it is proposed to provide and the basis for this figure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12999/10]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Following consideration of the report of the interdepartmental Expert Group on Children Detention Schools, in March 2008 the Government approved the development of new national children detention facilities at Oberstown, Lusk, Co. Dublin.

The Office of Public Works has been charged with designing the new facilities and managing the construction stage of the project which will be undertaken in phases. It is anticipated that the first phase will consist of 80 new places which will enable all children ordered to be detained by the Courts to be accommodated in children detention facilities only. The second phase is intended to provide 57 new places with the remaining 30 places being provided in existing facilities. The design stage is well advanced with both concept and sketch designs to deliver the 167 places on the Oberstown campus, having been completed.

The estimate by the Expert Group of likely future capacity demand of 167 places was based on an analysis of trends in juvenile detention along with data sets from An Garda Síochána, the National Juvenile Office, the Courts Service (and others) and general population projections produced by the Central Statistics Office for the under 18 age group. As committed to in the report of the Expert Group, the IYJS continues to keep the capacity requirement under review. The report can be viewed on the IYJS website at www.iyjs.ie.

The Deputy will be aware that tendering for construction of the new facilities will be subject to Government approval and to the necessary funding being made available.