Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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152. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to undertake a study of the possibility of introducing house or community house arrest or secure detention as an alternative to imprisonment for young adult women, given the special needs of young persons, the damage caused by imprisonment and the small numbers of young women where imprisonment is deemed the only option. [25667/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Section 101 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007 already allows the courts to impose restriction of movement orders as an alternative to sentences of imprisonment in specified circumstances.

However the Strategic Review of Policy Group's final report published by me in September 2014 proposed alternatives to custodial sentences (including detention) as the first choice of sanction for both adults and juveniles. Chapter six of the report is dedicated to the specific needs of female offenders.

In Chapter six the review group welcomed the publication of the Probation Service/Irish Prison Service Joint Strategic Plan for female offenders - "An Effective Response to Women Who Offend" and recommended that further research into and evaluation of the particular needs and circumstances of female offenders should support the processes identified in the joint strategy relating to women. The two agencies have identified the need to provide tailored interventions for women with the aim to reduce offending among women and improve outcomes. International research and practice indicates that better outcomes can be achieved by using gender informed approaches.

I have no plans to undertake any studies outside of the recommendations of the Strategic Review of Penal Policy which concluded that rehabilitation and reintegration is a core principle and significant factor in reducing crime and the achievement of those aims is best achieved in a non-custodial environment as possible. Plans for research and evaluation into the reasons for the high level of women remands, the use of imprisonment for women and the development of more gender appropriate community sanctions and programmes are being progressed.