One of the most experienced solicitors working at the Children's Court in Dublin has said she is pessimistic about prospects for positive change in the juvenile justice system.
"There doesn't seem to be anyone at Cabinet level taking real responsibility for tackling the issues that see these children getting into crime in the first place," said Ms Sarah Molloy outside the court yesterday.
She said the announcement in April that a new wing of St Patrick's Institution, which holds 16- to 21-year-olds, would be built for 14- and 15-year-olds "epitomises the approach of the Government".
"They are building these detention facilities, catching them at the end when they have already established the beginning of a criminal career instead of trying to catch them before they start," she said. "The fact is they're not tackling child poverty."
The vast majority of young people before the court were from socially deprived backgrounds.
"I'd say at least 99 per cent. You generally don't see children from middle-class backgrounds at this court.
"Just a handful, and the majority of those would have behavioural difficulties."
- New legislation was not necessary to curb joyriding, the Taoiseach has said, writes Mark Hennessy in Mexico City.
Mr Ahern said the laws had been substantially strengthened over the last 20 years. "Don't get me wrong, I am not going soft on this issue," he said.
"But the Government has put significant resources into providing adequate places for young people. I know many of these young people. The simple thing is to say, 'Lock them up and throw away the key'. "
The Garda had plenty of legislation to deal with teenagers caught "joyriding". "But one of these children is said to be just 12 years of age," he told The Irish Times.
"Quite frankly, the gardaí worry about getting involved with a heavy hand and chasing small kids at high speeds through the cities. We tried that trick during the 1980s," he went on.
Instead of new laws, Mr Ahern said, further efforts must be made to deal with poverty blackspots, as happened in the 1990s.
