Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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674. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on the high number of young persons held on remand here which, according to her Department, reached 263 in 2015 and of whom 93 received detention orders; the measures her Department is taking to tackle the over-use of detention on remand for children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7225/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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The Irish Youth Justice Service oversees a significant investment in community based programmes to divert young people from further involvement in criminal or anti-social behaviour. In 2016, approximately €17 million has been allocated by the Department of Justice and Equality to the Irish Youth Justice Service to administer Garda Youth Diversion Projects, Young Persons Probation Projects and a number of other youth diversion community-based projects. In 2015, 7,282 children were admitted to the Garda Diversion Programmes. These projects also benefit from support under the European Social Fund.

Under Section 88 of the Children Act 2001, a court may remand a child in custody who is charged with or found guilty of an offence, who is being sent forward for trial, or in respect of whom the court has postponed a decision. The discretion as to whether or not to remand a child in custody is solely for the decision of the judge hearing the case.

As part of the Youth Justice Action Plan 2014-2018, a key commitment was the development of a Bail Supervision Scheme. The scheme, which is currently operating on a pilot basis, provides more therapeutic supports in the community for children who are subject to bail conditions. The service provides a ‘wraparound’ service to the young person and their family with a prescribed reporting system back to the courts through the appropriate statutory bodies; Probation Service, An Garda Síochána and Oberstown. The scheme offers greater options to the courts in the knowledge that closer monitoring will take place through interaction with the young people, their families and communities.

It should be noted that in 2015, of the 263 orders to remand, these related to 163 children. Furthermore, of the 93 orders issued by Courts to detain children in Oberstown, these related to 87 children.