Madam, - I read with interest in your edition of September 8th that Minister for Justice Michael McDowell proposes to raise the age of criminal responsibility for children from seven years to 10 for most offences. I was under the illusion that the current age of responsibility for criminal behaviour in Ireland was in fact 12, as legislated for in the Children Act 2001.
It is with great dismay I learn that, because the Minister finds this "unduly optimistic" and too difficult to enact, the current law will be ignored and replaced with a newer, presumably "easier" age of 10, and in some cases seven.
The Minister's concern that two 11-year-olds who throw an eight-year-old off a cliff could not currently be punished is misleading, as the Children Act already has provisions for dealing with children under the age of 12 who are found to be engaged in an activity which, if the child was over 12 years, would constitute criminal activity.
The Children Act outlaws the use of prisons for children. Surely we should expect our Minister for Justice to support the law of the country? If he doesn't, shame on us for letting that happen. - Yours, etc,
MARY CUNNINGHAM, Director, National Youth Council of Ireland, Montague Street, Dublin 2.