Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 154: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will report on reform activities in juvenile detention centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9082/08]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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In December 2005, the Government agreed to put in place a series of reforms for the youth justice system. These reforms concerned all aspects of youth justice, and included the establishment of the Irish Youth Justice Service (IYJS). The principal reform in relation to juvenile detention was the transfer of responsibility for the children detention schools to the IYJS, an executive office of my Department, following an amendment to the Children Act, 2001. Another key reform was the extension of the children detention school model to all children being detained. The Government also agreed to the establishment of an Expert Group on Children Detention Schools to begin planning for the redevelopment of detention school services.

I am pleased to say that significant progress has been made in recent years. The IYJS was established in December 2005. The Children Act 2001, as amended, has been fully commenced and the transfer of the children detention schools from the Department of Education and Science to the operational remit of the Irish Youth Justice Service has been completed. The Irish Youth Justice Service has a remit which addresses all aspects of youth justice including Garda Youth Diversion Projects, Young Persons Probation Projects, detention services and general youth justice policy.

Since 1 March 2007, 16 and 17 year old girls, who would previously have been detained in the prison system, are now only accommodated in Oberstown Girls School. With regard to 16 and 17 year old boys, planning is underway to accommodate this group in children detention schools and my colleague, Mr. Brendan Smith, T.D. Minister for Children, will soon publish a report of the Expert Group on Children Detention and make a statement on the matter in the coming weeks.