Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 7 September 2026
3064. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average annual cost of detaining a person in Oberstown Children Detention Campus; the way this cost is calculated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63019/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraOberstown Children Detention Campus is the State’s sole detention centre for children.
The maximum occupancy in Oberstown is set by the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality by way of a certificate made under the Children Act, 2001. This certificate is currently set at 46 (42 boys and 4 girls).
The Financial allocation and the average daily population in the table below are as per the figures reported in Oberstown Annual Reports. The Financial Allocation of current funding covers Pay and Non-Pay costs but does not count capital investments.
The cost base of Oberstown involves multiple types of costs and the simplistic measure of the average cost per child per day or per year does not truly reflect the valuable work of Oberstown. Typically, neither the Department nor Oberstown, use such metrics.
However, I can share with the Deputy the relevant amounts for the period requested. The table below shows the financial allocation to Oberstown for the years 2023 to 2025, the average daily population in each of those years and the resultant average cost per occupied bed per year using an arithmetic mean calculation - totals are rounded to the nearest €,000.
|
- |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
|
Financial Allocation (Pay/Non Pay) (million) |
€27.244 |
€27.876 |
€28.798 |
|
Average Daily Population |
35 |
39 |
39 |
|
Average Cost per occupied bed |
€778,000 |
€715,000 |
€738,000 |
