Madam, - I write to congratulate The Irish Times and your reporter Carl O'Brien on the excellent series about the Children's Court.
These reports have graphically portrayed the harrowing stories of some of the children who appear before the Children's Court. Given that such children have, almost by definition, multiple needs, the reports have also illustrated the severely limited range of options open to judges.
The passage of the Children Act 2001 led to hopes that young offenders would be dealt with in a more enlightened manner and that a range of options other than custody would become available. These include family conferencing, the Garda Diversion Programme and community-based sanctions.
However, the slow implementation of the Act and the failure by Government to resource it adequately has meant that children continue to end up in crisis before the Children's Court and judges are often left with no alternative but to give them custodial sentences.
Your readers should not despair. There are measures which could make a difference to the plight of these youngsters and provide a better return for society.
Firstly, the astute and properly resourced implementation of the Children Act 2001 would open up a range of services to support children in trouble.
Secondly, there is a whole body of international literature that testifies to the value of early intervention programmes with children who are vulnerable or at risk of offending. In the Irish context there are examples, such as the Government-funded Springboard projects, of locally based interventions that work intensively where and when they can make a difference. They provide supports and services that help young people realise their potential and to make better choices in their relationships and behaviour.
But there should be many more. As a society, we need to invest more intensively in early intervention programmes rather than building children's prisons. - Yours, etc.,
OWEN KEENAN,
Chief Executive,
Barnardos,
Christchurch Square,
Dublin 2.