Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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149. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the projected cost for a doubling of the Garda diversion schemes. [28601/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, Youth Diversion Projects (YDPs) are community-based, multi-agency youth crime prevention initiatives which primarily seek to divert young people who have been, or are at risk of becoming, involved in anti-social or criminal behaviour. YDPs are run by community-based organisations and are a vital support to the statutory Garda Youth Diversion Programme.

A top priority for my Department is the expansion and deepening of the services offered to young people by the YDPs which are fully funded by my Department. On average, the YDPs engage with about 4,000 young people across the State in any one year.

As the Deputy may appreciate, the funding needs of individual YDPs differ based on a range of criteria, such as the geographical area in which the Project operates, the number of referrals to the YDP and the number of the hard-to-reach cohort of these referrals, amongst others.

My Department offers funding appropriate to the needs of each YDP and as determined by standard budgetary processes. Funding fluctuates based upon the YDPs' determination of their needs against the available budget for Youth Justice services annually.

In Budget 2024, the funding allocated to Youth Justice Services increased by 10% to €33 million. This will facilitate an increase in the availability of YDP services in the evenings and at the weekends when many young people need them the most, as well as an increase in supports for families, interventions for typically hard-to-reach young people and early interventions for 8-11 year olds who may be at increased risk of becoming engaged in criminal activity.

The current network of 99 YDPs is extensive, but we will continue to develop it further to ensure that every child who needs support is reached. Four new YDPs are in the process of rolling out services (in South Monaghan, Claremorris and district, South and East Co. Wicklow and West Cork (North of Bandon)), with a further two projects (in East Clare and in Thurles and surrounding towns in North Tipperary) planned for introduction later this year.

Considerable progress has been made to extend the YDP network to ensure that the service is available in all locations throughout the State. This has been achieved by extending existing project catchment areas and the allocation of additional staff. There are a small number of areas where this approach would not be suitable and the establishment of new projects in these areas is being progressed as an alternative.

Given that the approach is to ensure that the YDP network is available in all locations throughout the State, it is not possible to quantify the cost of doubling them, as it is not clear on what basis they would be doubled. Also, as set out above, each YDP is funded according to identified local needs.