Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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720. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of children in adult prisons; and the projected cost of sending them to age appropriate units instead. [26777/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I can advise the Deputy that from 31 March 2017 all 17 year olds are now committed by the Courts to the Children’s Detention Centre at Oberstown, rather than to St. Patrick’s Institution. In practice, up to 31 March all 17 year olds committed to St. Patrick’s Institution were transferred shortly thereafter to a special unit in Wheatfield Place of Detention.

On 12 June 2017 there were five juveniles in Wheatfield Place of Detention. The five 17 year olds boys currently in Wheatfield will not transfer to Oberstown but will remain in the adult prison system until they complete their sentence or ‘age out’ – this process is expected to take approximately six months.