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FIVE YEARS AFTER it was originally approved, work has started today on a new detention centre for Ireland’s young offenders.
The new National Children Detention Facility at Oberstown in Dublin will house all offenders – both male and female – aged under 18. The existing centre at the Oberstown campus in Lusk already caters for some teenage offenders but the new facilities will significantly increase the capacity.
The centre became increasingly necessary after Minister for Justice Alan Shatter announced earlier this year that juveniles could no longer be imprisoned in St Patrick’s Institution which had been repeatedly criticised by human rights groups.
A contract worth €56.4 million has been awarded to construction firm BAM Building to construct the new facilities. The first three residential units are due to be available in the third quarter of 2014, when 17-year-old boys who were moved from St Patrick’s Institution earlier this year will be moved to Oberstown.
The remaining 3 residential units will open in 2015.
Speaking at the launch of the project today, Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald said a series of changes would be brought in to the centre, including a new integrated clinical theme for children, a single Campus Manager, and an amendment to the Children Act of 2001 to amalgamate the 3 existing detention schools into a single legal entity.
Minister Fitzgerald said that detaining teenagers should be seen as the final resort rather than a regular option for young offenders.
“I will continue to work with Minister Shatter on promoting the use of non custodial sanctions for children wherever possible,” she said.
The government had announced at the end of 2011 that the National Children’s Detention Facility would be delayed indefinitely, leading to some concerns that the new centre would never be built.
“There have been numerous attempts over the years to progress this project but this Government has, at a time of major constraint for the public finances, committed the resources needed to resolve this issue once and for all,” said the Minister.
The move was welcomed by groups representing children. Children’s Rights Alliance boss Tanya Ward said that ending the detention of children in St Patrick’s was a “major step forward for vulnerable children”.
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Micko and Johnner will be delighted with the new snooker tables so..! Our taxes are being well spent by the looks of it.
If they had a darts board they could learn some arithmetic as well.
Don’t be such a jerk Ashley I’m sure with your fine designer south side name you have not seen much hardship in your life
Don’t judge this young people until you have walked a day in their shoes
@ Ashley Rowland
Yet another one who has never visited Mountjoy or any other prison.
New, modern, prison facilities are an absolute must for this country.
He doesn’t even live in Dublin. Felix why should a prison be modern. Make life in prison as crap as possible so you don’t end up in it again.
@ matt
Barbarous, ignorant thinking. It simply doesn’t work. By that logic why not deprive them of all human comfort? Lock them in a dungeon? No light? Dirty water? No exercise?
Pure idiotic.
Don’t be stupid felix
@ Matt
Jesus – is that all you’ve got?
Do you have a shred of evidence to support the contention that treating people badly makes them shape up and do better?
Life in Mountjoy is not pleasant yet repeat offenders end up back there all the time.
You haven’t a notion what you’re talking about.
What more do you want for a Stupid comment.
The old prison system has failed so why build an new one? Most children who end up in trouble were not born criminals. As a society we should be ashamed of ourselves collectively as clearly these children have been failed by us adults. most of the children who get into more trouble are inside the “care system” which then feeds the prison industry and all make a profit while people pay. Under our own old justice system we had no prisons at all and now we try and say we are modern and evolving.
is this be4 the childrens hospital r after.
“Minister Fitzgerald said that detaining teenagers should be seen as the final resort rather than a regular option for young offenders.”
FFS ask any City Center business owners who have been repeatedly burgled about that. The only peace they get is when the regulars are locked up.
@ Morticia
So your answer to juvenile delinquency is to lock the teenagers up from the start Morticia? That’s very forward thinking of you. Not lazy at all! Glad to see you’re willing to put so much thought into a society wide problem, addressing all core issues and reasons for the problem and then solving it. You must be a Fianna Failer, or Fine Gaeler, or a Labour supporter – pick the laziest solution possible and sure that’ll be grand.
“Problem? What? Ahh who cares….sure just lock em up!”
Brilliant!
Let them live near you so Felix…
The ones that constantly break the law SHOULD be locked up, and for a hell of a lot longer than they currently are being detained.
I don’t care what Felix does with his criminal chums just as long as decent people can sleep easy at night and know that their property, such as little pink wheelchairs, will still be there in the morning.
@ Dave Higgins
Um Dave – where did I say that they shouldn’t be locked up? Of course repeat offenders should be locked up. Prison should not however be a one stop shop for all offenders. Where young offenders are concerned prison should be a LAST RESORT. Which is what the Minister said and what Morticia seems to have a problem with.
@ Morticia
That’s an idiotic and juvenile response Morticia. Your answer is to just lock every one up is it? Why not kill them? Or torture them until they learn to behave eh? Wouldn’t that turn out great results?
It’s this lack of any kind analysis or thought that has our country in the state it is in. Gor for the quick fix, the easy answer, the short term cheap solution. Don’t fix the problem – hell don’t even acknowledge that there IS a problem.
“He broke the law? Oh well lock him up then. 16 years old? Why should I care – so long as I don’t have to deal with him that’s all that matters. Civilised society? Yes I want to live in a civilised society – but only one that is civilised towards ME!”
Its lazy and ignorant Morticia.
Maybe one of your chums could help us locate the missing pink wheelchair? No questions asked of course.
@ Morticia
“Chums”
What age are you 12? The missing pink wheelchair – how very typical. Lazy lazy person.
Eh…
What about it?
Where the fuc& is it felix
@ Hippocratetth
Why is that a relevant question? Was has it got to do with a new centre in Oberstown?
Only 5 years tut tut .who rushed this through
The facts are we need this youth detention centre. St Patricks was way passed its sell by date. Housing young offenders of 17 with 21 year olds was never going to work. There is a much higher possibility of rehabilitation in under 18′s. These youths will be back on the streets, therefore proper facilities are necessary if any of them are to become functioning members of society. Not all youth offenders are hopeless cases, many are salvageable with proper guidance and facilities.
@ Michelle McLoughney
Well said Michelle. Unfortunately you are in the minority on these pages. A cursory read of any article touching on prison facilities or budgets will establish a prevalence of the “Lock em up and treat them as inhumanely as possible” opinions. Usually followed with some trite nonsense like “If you can’t do the time…”.
I would prefer if we could send off the dangerous type of young offenders to places such as Afghanistan clearing mine fields and let them never come back. Why should the tax payer have to end up entertaining these monster who don’t care for society? They will just remain a hazard when they are released from their ‘holiday camp ‘.
@ John King
I’d prefer if we could send people like you off to Afghanistan to clear mine fields. You and every other person who thinks the answer to juvenile delinquency is “lock em up and throw away the key”
The blatant contradiction is that your answer to everything is “lock em up” and then when you find out how much it costs to keep people in prison – you MOAN!!!!
@John King. If society cared enough in the first place, the kids wouldn’t be in so much trouble in the first place.
@ Felix, I am referring to the dangerous violant type of offenders who to be honest I would rather see to be sent far away. I understand that not everyone has a good start in life and some might commit minor offence (shop lifting, using public transport without ticket etc) where society should give them a second chance and some support to cope with there circumstances. However, when innocent people are harmed, injured or even murdered (See next news article where a 10 old killed an old pensioner) then the question must be asked how to deal with these hazardous thugs . Should they be excused every time they commit a crime because of their bad upbringing? I think at some stage in life people have to start to take ownership of their actions regardless if their start in life was easy or not. And I think it is only fair to the law abiding citizens that they are protected from dangerous thugs.
Carina, could you please explain in more detail how society has left these young offenders down or didn’t care enough?
@ John King
This entire article is about opening a new, appropriate detention centre for juveniles. This should have been done years and years ago. It’s long over due.
Secondly the Minister has said that prison for children should be a LAST RESORT.
If someone cannot be rehabilitated and refuses to change their behaviour – well then we have a shiny new detention centre. If they can be rehabilitated or havent slipped too far beyond help then we should have other options available.
That’s how a sophisticated, educated and moral society should work.
The likes of Morticia who think the answer is simply to “jail em” at every opportunity is indicative of a lazy, ignorant and frankly undeveloped attitude.
Are you sure it’s going to be big enough.
Remember that first offence usually means first time caught.
Why would we remember that? And what are you basing this on?
The people who should be clearing minefields@ felix is the prisoners,they get all the mod cons and trimmings courtesy of the law-abiding tax payer,ie the would be victims of crime, you and me.
Where is the sense in that?
The problem is: PRISONS ARE NOT PROFITABLE,make them profitable,make prisoners work for their keep,ie food and board,have them working 12 hour shifts everyday,so the tax payer won’t have to pay a cent towards these prisons,make them financially self sufficient.
That way society won’t be shortchanged and made a victim again of the criminals.
@ boiled sweets
All the mod cons eh? Like toilets in Mountjoy? Have you ever set foot inside a prison? I’m guessing you have not. Have you ever shared a cell designed for one with three other men? Again – I’m assuming you haven’t.
And what work would you have the prisoners do exactly? Some of the best companies in this country are no longer profitable – but you’re suggestion is to make prisons profitable. As easy as that! Let the money roll in! Sure it’s simple. Take a largely uneducated, unmotivated and unskilled work forced and have them “work” all day to generate profit. Boiled sweet will buy the goods they make.
“Designed and built by the hard working inmates of Oberstown and Mountjoy! – Buy Now! Only €3 each”
Oh yes – the perfect solution. Just make it profitable! Why did no one think of it before? Sure while we’re at it maybe we should make the hospitals, health centres, schools, gardai, fire service and hell! The Government profitable! Make it ALL profitable!
It’s just that easy! Problems solved!
why is the facility on spike island not just refurbished and used for the juveniles
how many ‘young offenders’ come from a background where older siblings, parents and even grandparents are also known offenders ? and how many of them are taught that “they can’t touch you till your 12′ you only have to look at the county courts lists every month to see the same names coming up time and again, constent re-offenders, prison or the threat of prison holds no fear or shame for them, its more like a badge of honour.
i have heard youngsters tell a garda,”you can’t touch me, i’ll get me brief onto you” theres kids as young as 8 yrs old riding round estates acting as delivery boys for older kids s3lling drugs, why ?because there under 12 and therefore untouchable in law.
its not only the inner cities it’s rife all over ireland, i witnessed the exact same thing happening in the u.k before i moved here 15 yrs ago, al the bleeding heart liberals and all the do gooder social workers, pleading with the juvenille courts not to to hard on the ‘poor lad’ because he had a ‘broken home ‘ in most cases he was the fecker that broke it ! .
in order for prison or borstal to be a deterrent it has to install a sense of fear in those who are likely to go there, these days most kids on the street think its like Trabolgon, pool tables ,cable t.v, computor games, 3 good meals a day, clean clothing, hot showers, footie pitch’s , and loads of ‘mates’ to hang around with.
im not advocating a return to dickensian style prisons but prison reform has swung too far one way since the 1970′s.
instead of investing 53 million into new youth detention centres the money would be better spent in educating these children in the right’s and wrongs of our sociaty, saying that what sort of example are they being set by our greedy ,self centred governemt and their corrupt associates?
problem families like the ones you describe eric should be identified and sterilised,the dumbrells and mulhalls spring to mind
Hurray, along with the super sewerage works also planned for Lusk, we’ll have a wealth of local amenities.
Next time you see a woman in tears as she describes her stolen handbag to a Garda keep in mind that it is most likely the first case of bag-snatching that day.
@ Felix do you know they PLAN TO RENOVATE PRISONS IN IRELAND – AT WHOSE COST THE COST OF THE TAX PAYER , IE VICTIMS LIKE YOU AND ME..
How is that justice? They SHOULD make prisons profitable,where is the sense in us paying for a criminals entertainment,education and rehabilitation..?
It is an added unwanted expense to the system and something needs to be done about it,not adding on more cost to it, its been proven not to work.
A psychopath will remain a pyschopath for example, there can be no sucessful rehabilitation for these people.
There are some who are beyond help and you have to admit that to yourself.Otherwise you are a bleeding eejit..
@ boiled sweets
Planning to do something is not doing something. I’ll believe it when I see it. The tax payer pays for everything in the State – including prisons which are a societal necessity.
Building prisons is not about justice. It’s about having somewhere to put criminals.
They “should make prisons profitable”…..ok, as you obviously didn’t understand my point earlier…HOW? HOW do you make a prison profitable? What service or goods would a prison provide? From where would they generate income?
Prisons are not an “unwanted expense”. They are very much a wanted expense. No society in history has ever managed to eradicate crime. We therefore need somewhere to put criminals.
You whinge and moan about “Justice” and they say we shouldn’t have better prisons? Well which is it? I’m sure youd be the first person to complain if someone was let out of prison or wasn’t sent to prison. So which is it?
“Why not kill them? Or torture them until they learn to behave eh? Wouldn’t that turn out great results?”
Touch of hysteria there Felix? Any other offences you would like us to take into consideration?
@ Morticia
It’s not that far along from the stand you’re taking Morticia. Brutalise convicts because you can’t be bothered to investigate the reasons and causes of their behaviour and then solve them. The “lock them up and throw away the key” attitude.
As I keep saying – it’s lazy and ignorant thinking.
What I wrote was
“I don’t care what Felix does with his criminal chums just as long as decent people can sleep easy at night and know that their property, such as little pink wheelchairs, will still be there in the morning.”
So take them and play silly buggers with them if you wish , when they are off the streets they can’t do much harm to the rest of us.
@ Morticia
I read what you wrote Morticia. And I say again: you’re a lazy, unthinking person.
The “lock them up and throw away the key” attitude” Felix is the old Victorian mindset.
Its easier than asking these children to spill their hearts out re their damaged inner children and the abuse and trauma experienced. I have yet to meet anyone in Ireland properly trained to listen to these children and assist in their traumas etc.
Denial and cognitive dissonance is much easier.
An Blascaod Mor is empty these days.
Are the HSE running this facility?
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