Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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450. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the plans for new youth diversion programmes across the State and the locations; the timeline for when they will be operating; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28402/25]

Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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451. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the average cost of establishing a youth diversion programme; the annual cost of the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28403/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 450 and 451 together.

The Youth Diversion Projects (YDPs) are a fundamental support to the operation of the statutory Garda Youth Diversion Programme and provide a vital ingredient in enhancing community policing partnerships.

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 and/or criminal behaviour. On average the YDPs engage with between 3,500 and 4,000 young people across the State in any one year.

While the projects primarily receive referrals from An Garda Síochána, they may receive referrals from other sources including schools, parents or self-referrals, including in some cases working with young people who are not under Garda supervision, or have been deemed unsuitable for diversion.

A top priority is the expansion and deepening of the services offered to young people by the YDPs, which are fully funded by my Department. These projects provide an invaluable support to complement the work of An Garda Síochána in addressing youth crime and protecting local communities.

In Budget 2025, the funding allocated to overall Youth Justice Services is €36 million, which has increased from €33.6 million in 2024 and €30 million in 2023. 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.

There are 93 YDPs, with four new YDPs announced in 2023. There are a further two new YDPs in East Clare and North Tipperary commissioned in early 2025, to be operational by the end of 2025, achieving full nationwide availability of these important services. As each YDP is allocated funding on an individual basis according to their size and need, an average cost of establishing a YDP is not available.