Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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398. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Garda youth diversion projects in the DMR northern region in each of the years 2009 to 2019 and to date in 2020; and the areas in which they are located. [9403/20]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The statutory framework relating to young offenders and the Garda Diversion Programme is set out in the Children Act 2001. The nationwide network of Garda Youth Diversion Projects (GYDPs) is supported by my Department.

GYDPs 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. They aim to support young people and bring about the conditions whereby the behavioural patterns of young people towards law and order can develop and mature through positive interventions and interaction with the project.  GYDPs provide a range of intervention programmes such as Work to Learn, Mentoring and Family support.

Since 2015, GYDPs have been co-funded under the Programme for Employability Inclusion and Learning (PEIL) of the European Social Fund (ESF) 2014-2020.

My Department is pursuing an ambitious programme for the future development of GYDP services, working closely with community organisations and with expert support from the Research Evidence into Policy Programmes and Practice project in the University of Limerick

In relation to the specific question raised by the Deputy,I can say that there are currently some 105 Garda Youth Diversion Projects nationally, seven of which are in the DMR North Division, as set out in the following table: