In my work as Spokesperson on Juvenile Justice I submit many questions on the issue, below are examples of some recent submissions. These answers help me get a good understanding of how the Irish Youth Justice Service (which is quite new in its operation ) works.
Wednesday, 10th March, 2010.
To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of juvenile liaison officers operating who are full time juvenile liaison officers; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY.I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that there are currently 111 full-time Juvenile Liaison Officers appointed within An Garda Síochána.
To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if a third level qualification has been established for the training of juvenile liaison officers; if not, if there are plans for the development of another level of qualification; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY.The training programme for Garda Juvenile Liaison Officers (JLOs) is set out in detail in the Annual Reports of the Committee appointed to monitor the effectiveness of the Diversion Programme. The annual report for 2008 is available on the Irish Youth Justice Service website – www.iyjs.ie
I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the Garda Office for Children and Youth Affairs is working with the Garda College to attain a third level qualification for JLOs on completion of their training.
To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if an appeals process for the denial of a minor seeking admission to the garda youth diversion programme has been established; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY.The Diversion Programme operates in accordance with Part 4 (Sections 17-51) of the Children Act 2001, as amended, and under the general superintendence and control of the Garda Commissioner.
The Act provides that the programme be managed by a member of an Garda Síochána not below the rank of superintendent, who is assigned by the Commissioner to the role of Director of the Programme. A child may be considered for admission to the programme if s/he (a) accepts responsibility for his or her criminal or anti-social behaviour, having had an opportunity to consult his or her parents or guardian, (b) consents to be cautioned and, where appropriate, supervised by a Garda juvenile liaison officer and (c) is between 10 -17 years of age. The Act does not provide a mechanism to appeal a decision to deem a child unsuitable for the programme.
To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if officers of An Garda Síochána involved with the interview or detention of minors receive additional and specialized training concerning the proper treatment of minors; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY.
The Garda Síochána is committed, under its current Youth and Children Strategy, “to provide a quality policing service to all the children and young people in our society and to do so with dignity and respect for their human rights by communicating, listening and working towards building and maintaining positive relationships with children and young people”.
An important element of the strategy is to ensure An Garda Síochána is equipped to deliver a quality service to all children and young people and endeavour to maintain the highest recognised international standards of behaviour and best practice when dealing with all children and young people. In that regard the strategy sets out a number of actions related to training including the provision of training on international conventions relating to children in custody. Amongst the courses delivered by the Crime Training Faculty in the Garda Síochána College at Templemore is a specialist child interviewer course.
To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if members of An Garda Síochána are given specific training concerning the respectful treatment of minors; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if there is any measure of the effectiveness of Garda officers regarding the respectful and professional treatment of minors; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY.The strategy sets out seventy actions and related performance indicators by which the effective implementation of the strategy can be measured. One of the initiatives in this regard is an action in the strategy to establish youth fora to allow for direct dialogue with young people on policing issues, which has the potential to enable a qualitative assessment of the treatment of minors.
The Garda Síochána is committed, under its current Youth and Children Strategy, “to provide a quality policing service to all the children and young people in our society and to do so with dignity and respect for their human rights by communicating, listening and working towards building and maintaining positive relationships with children and young people”.The Garda Síochána is committed, under its current Youth and Children Strategy, “to provide a quality policing service to all the children and young people in our society and to do so with dignity and respect for their human rights by communicating, listening and working towards building and maintaining positive relationships with children and young people”.
An important element of the strategy is to ensure An Garda Síochána is equipped to deliver a quality service to all children and young people and endeavour to maintain the highest recognised international standards of behaviour and best practice when dealing with all children and young people. In that regard the strategy sets out a number of actions related to training including awareness raising of the human rights of children and a commitment to identify and reward best practices when dealing with young people