The Detail: Care home shortages force scores of children to stay in juvenile detention
13th February 2025
In an article about child detention in Northern Ireland, which mentions other jurisdictions such as Scotland, Irish Penal Reform Trust Executive Director, Saoirse Brady, spoke to The Detail about child detention in the Republic of Ireland.
In the Republic of Ireland, children accused of crimes are sent to the Oberstown Children Detention Campus. Detention can be traumatic, and efforts are made to move children out as soon as possible. The percentage of children staying in detention due to lack of suitable bail accommodation has decreased from 19% in 2021 to 8% in 2023, partly due to limited capacity.
A government-funded bail supervision scheme operated by Extern supports children granted bail, providing access to therapists, family support, and addiction experts. This program helps address root causes of offending, like substance misuse and school dropout, as seen in the case of a 15-year-old boy, who overcame drug issues and returned to school.
Related items:
- RTÉ Prime Time: Young people who offend
- IPRT presented at the Youth Diversion Project Conference
- Irish Legal News: Concern youth detention is not being treated as last resort
- HIQA Inspection Report on Oberstown Children Detention Campus (2024)
- IPRT welcomes progress in Oberstown but highlights continuing concerns about staffing and use of restrictive practices
