Reducing the age of criminal responsibility for children will not solve problems of crime and antisocial behaviour involving young people, Labour warned today.
The party's spokesman on justice Joe Costello said implementing the Children's Act of 2001 in full was the best way to tackle any problems of crime among young teenagers.
"If the Government is serious about dealing with the problems of crime and antisocial behaviour involving children, then it should dispense with crazy notions like reducing the age of criminal responsibility," Mr Costello said.
"Instead, they should implement in full the Children Act, expanding the Probation and Welfare Service and properly resourcing successful initiatives like the Juvenile Diversion Programme."
Mr Costello said proposals from Minister for Justice Michael McDowell to amend the Criminal Justice Bill 2004 mean it is unlikely the Children's Act will be implemented.
The Dublin Central TD said the minister's proposals mean the age of criminal responsibility could be reduced to 10 years of age, with the lower age of seven applying for offences tried by the Central Criminal Court.
"It is bizarre that the minister proposes to try seven-year-olds in the Central Criminal Court for serious offences such as murder and rape," he said.
The age of criminal responsibility was increased from seven to 12-years by the Oireachtas in the Children's Act of 2001, however, this section of the legislation has not been enacted.
The Act increased the age of criminal responsibility as well as making parents and guardians more responsible for under-age offenders.
"The reason the Government has refused to implement this and other sections of the 2001 Act is purely to save money," Mr Costello said.
"The Government realises that it is cheaper to deal with a troublesome eight-year-old through the criminal process rather than implementing the more expensive, yet effective, procedures in the Children Act which place the emphasis on protection and support for children who come into conflict with the law."