Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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135. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if the role of restorative justice has expanded during the lifetime of this Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43712/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Probation Service Restorative Justice Strategy, published in 2013, provides a framework for informed, effective and integrated Restorative Justice practice. The strategy builds on the work of the Probation Service in this area to-date and focuses on the further development of evidence informed interventions which engage victims, offenders and the community in addressing the consequences of crime. Extending the range of restorative justice schemes is a strategic priority for the Probation Service.

The Restorative Justice Service based in Tallaght has been extended to the Criminal Courts of Justice and to the Courts in South County Dublin, while the Nenagh Community Reparation Project has been extended to the Courts in North Tipperary, Offaly and Cork and commenced operation under its new name "Restorative Justice in the Community" in 2013. Young Persons Probation in partnership with Le Chéile Mentoring continue to manage the Limerick Restorative Justice initiative.

Both the Community Service scheme and the more recently established Community Return programme operate primarily from a reparative model. Both of these models require offenders to address the indirect harm their offending behaviour has caused to the community by performing unpaid supervised work benefiting that community.