Funding for Bail Supervision Scheme must be prioritised to reduce youth crime – Mark Ward TD
23 April 2025
Sinn Féin spokesperson for Community Safety and Youth Justice, Mark Ward TD, has called for funding to be prioritised for the Bail Supervision Scheme to tackle youth crime.
Deputy Ward was speaking following the Irish Penal Reform’s Trust appearance on Prime Time earlier this month, where a rise in youth crime was discussed, and following Oberstown Children Detention Campus capacity figures he received in response to a Parliamentary Question.
Teachta Ward said:
“Early intervention is key to tackling youth crime.
“Young people turn to crime for a myriad of underlying social reasons, including poverty, lack of local services, and lack of opportunities.
“I have raised this on many occasions on the floor of the Dáil and in Oireachtas Committees.
“There is insufficient intervention to stop repeat offending. The root causes of crime are not being addressed.
“The Irish Penal Reform Trust has highlighted the benefits of the Bail Supervision Scheme.
“The Bail Supervision Scheme gives the court an option of bail with added therapeutic supports as an alternative to remand.
“This consists of a multi-disciplinary team that goes into the home of the young person, finds out what their issues are, and works with them to address them.
“This, alongside other youth diversion programmes, is a way forward in reducing repeat offences.
“The alternative is youth detention, and while this is what is needed for serious crimes, we know that this is not only costly, but also not the most effective way at reducing repeat offending.
“The average daily capacity for Oberstown last year was 38 young people, according to a response to a Parliamentary Question that I received. Prime Time highlighted that there is a daily cost of €1,700 per young person to detain them in Oberstown.
“Imagine if this money was invested in those young people within their communities, to fund local services, youth groups, and sports clubs. We need to target young people where they live, and provide them with positive options for their lives.
“I will be following up with the Justice Minister in relation to financing the Bail Supervision Service and other youth diversion programmes. Young people and their communities deserve better.”
The response to Deputy Ward’s Parliamentary Question, which contains figures, in tabular form, on the number of young people detained in Oberstown Children Detention Campus in each month of 2024, can be read here.
