2391. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether legislative changes are being considered in relation to parental responsibility for persistent youth offending; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62014/26]

2401. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has reviewed parental responsibility laws, parenting orders, parental fines, compensation schemes or welfare-linked sanctions operating in other jurisdictions, including England and Wales, Australia and New Zealand; the findings of any such review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62130/26]

2402. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if consideration is being given to legislation enabling the courts to impose fines, compensation orders or other financial penalties on parents where a repeat juvenile offender's criminal conduct is linked to a persistent failure of parental supervision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62129/26]

2404. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will consider the introduction of parental responsibility orders, mandatory parenting programmes or other measures to strengthen parental accountability where minors repeatedly engage in criminal or serious anti-social behaviour; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62127/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 2391, 2401, 2402 and 2404 together.

The role of parental supervision orders , which are already provided for under the Children Act 2021 and other parental measures, will be further considered in the development of a new Youth Justice Strategy over the coming year.

The Government’s approach to tackling youth offending is primarily through youth diversion and early intervention, and the budget allocation for youth justice measures has almost doubled from 2020 to 2026, standing at a record €43 million.

The Youth Justice Strategy 2021-2027 emphasises early intervention, prevention, family support and community engagement. It targets behavioural change so the cycle of offending by young people is broken.

As of this year, youth diversion services are now available nationwide. There are currently 92 Youth Diversion Projects and 4 Targeted Youth Diversion Projects across the country that are funded by this Department. The Government also funds specialised Youth Justice Workers and Programmes in Youth Diversion Projects catering to Early Intervention, Family Support and harder-to-reach, serious and prolific young offenders.

The Government recognises the critical role that strong family relationships and effective parental supervision play in preventing youth offending. Since 2018, my Department has embedded family support initiatives within Youth Diversion Projects, and in 2026 there are 68 Family Support Worker posts funded across the YDP Network. Family support interventions are evidence-based and are designed to support families to build on their competencies, promoting a strengths-based approach.

Alongside the network of 92 Youth Diversion Projects, my Department, in collaboration with the Probation Service, also operates a number of initiatives designed to address serious and prolific youth offending for those who may be deemed unsuitable for the Diversion Programme. Targeted YDPs provide intensive interventions specifically designed to address this cohort and I am examining the possibility of expanding these intensive interventions to areas of the country where they might be of particular benefit.

It is also the case that engagement with the youth justice system can provide an opportunity for practitioners to work with parents to improve their parenting skills to better equip them to deal with their children's behaviour.

The causes of, and our responses to, recent tragic events cannot be addressed through a lens of juvenile justice alone.

The Departments of Health and Children, Disability and Equality play important roles and deliver a number of parental and child interventions and supports. For example, the HSE has responsibility for delivering Parenting Capacity Assessments, and Tusla has responsibility for child interventions and related parental supports.

It is important to recognise that our existing Youth Justice Strategy has been successful in diverting children who have engaged in criminal or anti-social behaviour away from the Criminal Justice system and towards more positive pro-social behaviour and life choices.

Youth Diversion Projects work with up to 5,000 children and their families each year, with the vast majority of these young people successfully disengaging from offending behaviour.

There is also evidence of a strong relationship between increased investment in youth diversion and reductions in youth offending. Since 2020, An Garda Síochána has recorded a decline in youth offences. This reduction has occurred despite growth in the population of 12 to 17-year-olds. While the size of this age cohort has increased, the number of children coming to the attention of An Garda Síochána has remained relatively stable, indicating an overall reduction in youth offending rates.