Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal East, Labour)
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456. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality is he aware of the increase in referrals of youths to youth services in Swords from the Donabate area from the Garda juvenile liaison officer given the increasing population, which is set to continue to increase; to provide details of the numbers of referrals and an outline of the reasons for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49782/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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Part 4 of the Children Act 2001 provides the statutory basis for the Garda Youth Diversion Programme. The intention of the programme is to divert children and young people who have engaged in criminal or anti-social behaviour away from the criminal justice system and towards more positive life choices. Children who commit criminal offences are considered for admission to the Programme.

Youth Diversion Projects are a fundamental support to the operation of the statutory Garda Diversion Programme and provide a vital ingredient in enhancing community policing partnerships. These projects are community based multi-agency crime prevention initiatives, which are funded directly by my Department. YDPs seek to divert young people who have become involved, or are at risk of becoming involved, in crime/anti-social behaviour away from future involvement with the Criminal Justice System.

An Garda Síochána is a referring agent to Youth Diversion Projects as well as a partner supporting the ongoing diversion of young people from criminal and anti-social behaviour.

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. Individual YDPs also undertake early intervention preventative work and support for families.

Details in relation to the number of referrals to the Garda Youth Diversion Programme, where a child has committed a crime that is the subject of a referral to the Garda National Youth Diversion Bureau (GNYDB), and if the minor was, following consideration, admitted to the Diversion Programme, are available in the Annual Report of the Committee appointed to monitor the effectiveness of the Diversion Programme each year.

The annual reports are published on the Garda website: www.garda.ie/en/crime-prevention/community-engagement/community-engagement-offices/garda-national-youth-diversion-bureau/.

I can confirm that the JETS YDP, which services the Swords area, engaged with 63 young people who were referred to them in 2024. 22 of these young people were new referrals.