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Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Ms. Frances Fitzgerald TD has today officially launched the construction project for new child detention facilities, to increase capacity and improve services on the Oberstown campus, Lusk, Co. Dublin.

Minister Fitzgerald said the start of construction on the Oberstown project further demonstrated the Government commitment’s to implementing long-awaited reforms. The main objective of this project is to implement the Programme for Government commitment to end the detention of children in adult prison facilities.

The Minister stated: “I am delighted to announce that a contract has been awarded for the construction of these facilities and development of the Oberstown campus. Since my appointment as Minister, I have prioritised the resourcing of this project. The objective of ending the detention of children in adult prison facilities has been recognised by successive administrations since at least the 1980s. 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”.

The Minister outlined that following an open procurement competition, the Office of Public Works (OPW), on behalf of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, had awarded the main construction contract to BAM Building Ltd. A number of specialist contractors, providing services such as electrical, mechanical engineering and security doors and gates have also been appointed to be managed by the main contractor. The total contract is valued at €56.4 million (including VAT).

Minister Fitzgerald said “this is the culmination of a long process to design, fund and procure this project which, by increasing capacity on the Oberstown campus, will deliver on the Government’s commitment to end the use of St. Patrick’s Institution for children detained by the courts. Following on from my decision as an interim measure to assign responsibility for 16 year old boys to the Oberstown campus during 2012, this project will ensure the extension of the child care model of detention to all children under the age of 18 years”.

The timeline for the project will see the first 3 new residential units available in third quarter of 2014. These units will be used to facilitate the transfer of responsibility for 17 year old boys from adult prison facilities (currently St Patrick’s Institution) to the Oberstown campus.

The remaining 3 residential units, to be delivered in 2015, will be used to replace existing accommodation that has reached the end of its useful life on the existing Oberstown campus. The development will also provide associated education, recreation, security and other ancillary facilities and will result in all detention services for children being delivered in a single location, maximising the scope for ensuring best practice standards using the children detention school model and for operational efficiency.

Minister for State for Public Sector Reform and the Office of Public Works, Brian Hayes TD also attended the launch of the project and welcomed the role played by the OPW in bringing the Oberstown project to this stage of development. “I very much welcome the approval of funds for this project and I very much share the view of Minister Fitzgerald on the need to end the detention of children in adult prison facilities. I am delighted to note the key role played in the design, planning and delivery of the project to date by the OPW, which is committed to ensuring that this project is delivered on time and on budget at the earliest possible date. The OPW will continue to work with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in ensuring the successful and safe delivery of the project to the highest design standards”.

The Minister also announced that in order to complement the expansion in the Oberstown campus, work was ongoing on a recruitment programme to be implemented on a phased basis during 2014 for additional care staff needed to manage the new facilities that are being brought into operation on the Oberstown campus. The Minister stated: “I wish to thank the Oberstown staff for their commitment to delivering the child care model of detention and wish to assure them of my Department’s commitment to provide all required training and other supports into the future”.

The Minister also outlined further reforms and development aimed at enhancing management and service provision on the National Children Detention School campus in Oberstown. These include:

· Establishment of a new integrated clinical team for therapeutic services for children in detention and residential care;

· Introduction of an integrated care staff rostering system and a Central Staff Allocations Office for the Oberstown campus;

· Completed of recruitment process for a single Oberstown Campus Manager, who is expected to be appointed shortly;

· Work is ongoing on an amendment to the Children Act 2001 to provide for the full amalgamation of the existing 3 children detention schools into a single legal entity.

Finally, the Minister noted the ongoing need to ensure that in line with the principles of the Children Act 2001, detention had to be seen as a last resort for children getting into difficulties with the law. The Minister noted that there were a range of community sanctions available to the courts under the Children Act and supports were also available in the form of the community diversion schemes managed by the Irish Youth Justice Service. The Minister commented: “It is important to ensure that detention is always used as a last resort for any child. I will continue to work with Minister Shatter on promoting the use of non custodial sanctions for children wherever possible”.

Ends

Issued by the Press and Communications Office at the Department of Children and Youth Affairs,

Tel: 01 647 - 3019/3130/3075

Press Officer: Clare Heenan. Tel: 086 8036203

Email: media@dcya.gov.ie

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Information Note to Editors

Official launch by Minister for Children and Youth Affairs of the National Children Detention Facility (NCDF) Project, Oberstown

October 2013

Key Points

With effect from 1 January 2012, legal responsibility for the Children Detention Schools was transferred from the Minister for Justice and Equality to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.

In April 2012, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs announced a funding package had been secured for the development of children detention facilities at Oberstown, Co. Dublin. The development will allow the ending of the practice of detaining under 18 year olds in St. Patrick’s Institution and replace existing accommodation which has reached the end of its useful life.

There are 2 aspects to the project. First of all, there is a need for a limited amount of extra capacity (3 residential units) in order to ensure that the practice of detaining 17 year old boys in St Patrick’s Institution can end. This part of the project will be completed by the third quarter of 2014. Secondly, it is intended to build sufficient capacity (a further 3 residential units) to replace Oberstown Boys School, which has outdated buildings and does not meet best practice standards in children detention. This part of the project will be completed in 2015.

The other existing buildings on campus, Trinity House School and the Cuan Beag unit currently housing Oberstown Girls School and are being retained to operate as part of the national facilities being developed on the campus.

Children Detention Schools

There are 3 children detention schools currently in operation, all located on the Oberstown campus at Lusk, Co. Dublin. These are Trinity House School, Oberstown Boys School and Oberstown Girls School. The total current operational capacity on the campus is 44 places for males and 8 places for females. Under current arrangements, the children detention schools are authorised for detaining males up to the age of 17 years and females up to the age of 18 years.

Timescale for the Oberstown project

It is the Minister’s intention that the practice of sending 17 year olds to St Patrick’s will cease in 2014, once the first 3 units of detention accommodation are completed under the schedule below: Time Period Task

September 2013 Start of construction project

3rd quarter 2014 Deliver first 3 units of accommodation (to prioritise the accommodation of 17 year old male age group currently the responsibility of the Irish Prison Service), related site works, security

3rd quarter 2014 –

3rd quarter 2015 Deliver remaining 3 units of accommodation (to replace existing buildings housing Oberstown Boys School), education, recreation, and other services

3rd quarter 2015 Project completion

Project Cost

The project is currently costed at a total of €56.4 million (including VAT) and includes the following elements:

· 6 new units of detention accommodation

· Central Operations Building (for medical, visits, meetings, entrance, security / locking)

· New secure fence / wall boundary

· 1 Education / Recreation unit

· Siteworks

Project Management

The delivery of the project is being managed by the Office of Public Works (OPW), on behalf and in cooperation with the Irish Youth Justice Service.

Consultation with Local Community

The plans have also been the subject of consultation with the local community, which is already represented on the Board of Management for the Children Detention Schools in Oberstown. Planning permission was secured for the project in late 2012.

Children’s Detention - Measures introduced by Minister Fitzgerald since January 2012

· On 1 May 2012, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs signed the necessary orders to end the practice of committing 16 year old boys to St. Patrick’s Institution. This means that, since July 2012, there has been no 16 year old boy in St. Patrick’s Institution.

· Enhanced provision of specialist therapeutic services for children in residential institutions, in both the children detention schools and special care units operated by the Health Service Executive by a specialist multi disciplinary service established for this purpose. The Assessment, Consultation and Therapy Service (ACTS) include a senior psychologist, a substance misuse specialist and a senior speech and language therapist, as well as access to a forensic psychologist and has been fully operational since mid 2013.

· The extension of the remit of the Ombudsman for Children to 17 year old boys detained in St Patrick’s Institution for the period until such detentions cease fully.

· At the end of April 2013 the Minister obtained Government approval for the general scheme of a Children (Amendment) Bill to provide for the merging of all existing facilities on the Oberstown campus (i.e. Oberstown Boy’s School, Trinity House School and Oberstown Girl’s School) into a single legal entity. This Bill is expected to be enacted and implemented in early 2014.

· Following extensive conciliation and staff consultation facilitated by the Labour Relations Commission, a new cross campus care staff roster which provided flexibility in the deployment of staff across the 3 children detention schools came into operation with effect from 25 February 2013. A third party review of the roster has recently commenced with both management and staff input.

· In July 2013 the Public Appointments Service advertised the post of Oberstown Campus Manager. The selection process was recently completed and an appointment is expected to be made shortly.