Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 December 2025
596. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the plans in place to increase capacity at Oberstown Children Detention Campus, including any timelines for delivery; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73747/25]
View answerSignificant Capital funding has been allocated through the NDP review process to refurbish an accommodation unit currently not in use in Oberstown Detention School. Department officials have recently written to the OPW requesting commencement of planning and design of this vacant unit onsite as soon as possible. It should be noted refurbishment will likely take a minimum of two years to complete.
I continue to consider the matter in detail with the Oberstown team. I believe it may be necessary to provide for a small increase in the near future in the maximum number of boys that may be detained at Oberstown. The Director has been asked to consider what preparations may need to be made on the Oberstown Campus for that.
Detention of children is used as a last resort and Oberstown is one part of a wider Youth Justice system with many effective alternatives to detention available in the Irish Youth Justice system such as the highly successful Youth Diversion Programmes operating nationwide.
