Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The development of a Bail Supervision Scheme on a pilot basis was identified as a part of the Youth Justice Action Plan 2014 - 2018. The Bail Supervision Scheme has commenced on a pilot basis and began to accept referrals of children from 12 October 2016. The Scheme will provide more therapeutic supports in the community for children who are subject to bail conditions by providing a ‘wraparound’ type service to ensure that young people adhere to strict bail conditions as laid down by the courts. The normal rules around breaches of conditions of bail will be observed should a young person not comply, and the added supervision provided by the scheme will ensure greater compliance and closer monitoring.

It is envisioned that the scheme will offer greater options to the courts in the knowledge that closer monitoring will take place through interaction with the young people, their families and communities. This will ensure that detention as a last resort is possible and courts can make informed decisions on how a young person is doing and that the intervention will promote pro social behaviour.

The stakeholders in the Scheme are Oberstown Children Detention Campus, An Garda Siochana, the Probation Service and Extern. Progress reports will be made available to the court at subsequent bail appearances. From the court’s perspective the programme will be promoted primarily as a bail supervision scheme (incorporating the selected intervention programme) with the intent to closely monitor adherence with bail conditions.

This pilot scheme is operating in the Dublin area initially. There will be ongoing evaluation and review of the scheme and the intention is to replicate the scheme nationally (centred around major population areas) based on the results of the reviews. The initial period of the pilot is for a two year period.