Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 16: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on the reported significant increase in juvenile crime, with the number of juveniles charged with criminal offences in the Children's Court increasing by 90% between 2004 and 2008; the steps he will take to combat the increase in juvenile crime; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19592/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I presume the Deputy is referring to the Irish Independent article on 4th May 2010 which alleged that, between 2004 and 2008, there was an increase of 99.6% in the number of young people charged before the criminal courts. I would like to reassure the Deputy that this government takes the issue of youth crime very seriously. However it is important to note that the real increase in the period is nothing as dramatic as that claimed in the article.

The article in question quotes from the Courts Service annual reports for 2004 and 2008. However it fails to compare like with like. The 2004 report states clearly that the statistics in question relate only to the Dublin Metropolitan Court, whereas the 2008 Courts Service annual report gives national statistics. To more accurately compare the national statistics for youth crime for this period, I would recommend the Deputy consult the Annual Reports of the Committee appointed to monitor the Garda Diversion Programme. The reports for 2004 and 2008, which are available on the Irish Youth Justice Service website (www.iyjs.ie), show a 25.7% increase in the number of children deemed unsuitable for diversion, from 2,718 to 3,417. This provides a reliable indicator of the number of children prosecuted before the courts. The 25.7% increase is not out of line with the overall increase in referrals to the Diversion Programme for the same period, which was the order of 21.3%. This increase was substantially based on an increase in road traffic legislation enforcement in 2006 and on the general increase in Garda numbers in the same period.

Tackling youth crime is a key priority for this Government. The Government's policy on youth crime is set out in detail in the National Youth Justice Strategy 2008-2010. This strategy is underpinned by the principles of the Children Act 2001. The approach adopted by the Government involves the deployment of Garda Juvenile Liaison Officers and the use of measures such as the Garda Diversion Programme, Garda Youth Diversion Projects, Young Persons Probation Projects, community sanctions and the incremental process of warnings, good behaviour contracts and anti-social behaviour orders, all of which attempt to confront youth crime and related behaviours in an incremental way. The combination of these various measures, with detention as a last resort, offer a comprehensive and effective response to the question of youth crime.

lt is important to note that these measures do not provide an easy option for young offenders. They are designed to tackle offending behaviour and can also involve close supervision, curfews and other restrictions. There is a comprehensive range of measures available to the courts, including, where appropriate, sufficient places to meet the needs of the courts for the detention of young offenders. It is important to note, however, that the imposition of any particular sanction is a matter for the courts.