Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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155. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of children referred to the Garda youth diversion program by county in each of the years 2015 and 2016 and to date in 2017; the number of juvenile liaison officers by county for the same years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30379/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy may be aware the Monitoring Committee established under section 44 of the Children Act 2001 reports annually to the Garda Commissioner on the effectiveness of the Diversion Programme. This Annual Report provides comprehensive data in relation to the Diversion Programme, including the number of incidents referred to it and the number of individuals involved. The latest available Annual Report of the Monitoring Committee is in respect of 2015. According to this report, which is available on the websites of An Garda Síochána and the Irish Youth Justice Service, the number of children referred to the Diversion Programme in 2015 was 9,807.

The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the number of Juvenile Liaison Officers by county for the years 2015, 2016 and 2017 (end April) is set out in the following table. As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the optimum use is made of these resources.

Juvenile Liaison Officer Strength 2015-2017*

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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156. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Garda youth diversion projects by county and-or divisional basis in each of the years 2015 and 2016 and to date in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30380/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy may be aware, statutory provision in relation to young offenders is set out in the Children Act 2001 (as amended). Part 4 of the Act makes provision for the operation of the Garda Diversion Programme under the general superintendence and control of the Garda Commissioner. The aim of the Diversion Programme is to divert any child who accepts responsibility for his or her criminal or anti-social behaviour from committing further offences, or engaging in further anti-social behaviour, primarily by administering a caution to such a child and, where appropriate, by placing him or her under the supervision of a juvenile liaison officer.

To support the operation of the Diversion Programme, my Department, through the Irish Youth Justice Service, funds some 105 Garda Youth Diversion Projects around the country. These projects are community based multi-agency crime prevention initiatives which primarily seek to divert young people who have become involved in criminal or anti-social behaviour. In 2016, some €12m was allocated by the Irish Youth Justice Service to Garda Youth Diversion Projects and a number of other youth justice community based projects around the country. Similar monies will be expended in 2017. In addition, monies secured from the Dormant Accounts Fund supported the establishment of ten new projects in the period 2015/2016.

A table setting out the number of Garda Youth Diversion Projects by county in each of the years 2015 and 2016 and to date in 2017 follows.