A new youth detention centre is a "throwback" to the Victorian era, campaigners tell Marie O'Halloran
Twenty-four years ago, "unruly boys" were a social problem. The then minister for justice, Mr Gerry Collins, opened Loughan House in Blacklion, Co Cavan, specifically as a closed detention centre for the 12 to 16 age group.
He defended the role of prison officers in dealing with troublesome youths in this project and promised it would be an interim measure until more appropriate, secure facilities were secured. It became permanent.
One of its opponents at the time, Mr Andrew Logue, is equally opposed to the plan for a new detention centre for 14- and 15-year-old offenders in St Patrick's Institution, which will cost €9 million.
A founder member in 1970 of CARE, the Campaign for the Care of Deprived Children, and a former director of Barnardos, he says it is inappropriate for prison officers to be involved.
"I thought we had moved on since 1978, but nothing has really changed."
He is also angry about the resources being spent on the centre. "The same amount of energy, expertise and resources have not been put into Oberstown and Trinity House", he says, and is extremely concerned about how long the centre will be in place.
"Loughan House was supposed to be a temporary arrangement but it wasn't," he says. "There are no guarantees that this will be either."
However, the Minister of State with responsibility for children, Ms Mary Hanafin, is adamant that this will not be permanent. "I guarantee this will be temporary," she insists.
Ms Hanafin highlights the emphasis there will be on education in the centre, the Government's investment in child welfare and the "planned roll-out" of the Children's Act and the children's strategy.
Ms Hanafin also points to the increases in the number of Garda diversion projects for youngsters, greater investment in welfare services and plans for more school attendance officers and smaller classes.
But social services for children and offenders are in a complete mess, according to the Opposition and those working in the area.
Father Peter McVerry, a long-time worker with homeless youngsters, believes the decision to open the centre is a "throwback to the 19th century".
"The Government's own Whitaker report called for it to be closed down," he says.
"It flies in the face of the Government's own policies. It is certainly against the spirit of the Children's Act and is a knee-jerk reaction to a horrific tragedy" when two gardaí were killed when speeding "joyriders" crashed into their car.
"It is a response to public anger but will do very little to solve the problem," Father McVerry says.
Some 40 per cent of places at Oberstown and Trinity House, for youth offenders, are occupied by children with severe behavioural problems who have not committed an offence, he says.
Labour's spokeswoman on education and children, Ms Róisín Shortall, describes the new centre as the "warehousing" of children. "They need a secure facility but you don't do that by treating them as adult offenders. This virtually guarantees they will be in the criminal justice system for life."