Written answer
Child Detention Centres
No second detention facility is planned; instead, Oberstown will receive funding to refurbish accommodation, increasing capacity and supporting future demand analysis.
1058. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether consideration has been given to the construction of a second youth detention facility; whether a feasibility study or business case has been prepared; and the estimated capital cost of providing an additional youth detention campus. [64642/26]
Comment on this
The Department of Children, Disability and Equality has no plans at this time to consider the construction of a second Detention facility and there has been no scoping of a business case or costs for a second facility.
Oberstown is Ireland’s only detention school since 2016 and investment in the campus was made on the basis of it being the sole national facility.
I am pleased to share that significant Capital funding has been allocated through the National Development Plan (NDP) 2026-2030 to Oberstown. Some of that funding will be used as a matter of priority to refurbish an older accommodation unit, which is currently not in use in Oberstown Detention Campus.
A preliminary business case for that refurbishment has been prepared in line with the Government’s Infrastructure Guidelines and was approved by the Oberstown Board and the Department. In addition, Department officials have recently agreed with the OPW that project planning and design works can commence as soon as possible.
It should be noted refurbishment could take two years to complete.
Once complete, the newly refurbished housing unit will likely house girls on campus and will allow the housing unit currently used to house girls to become available to house boys. Therefore, a unit of eight beds will become available for boys where we see higher demand and any girls in detention will have the refurbished six-bed unit available to them.
As part of an existing action under the Youth Justice Strategy 2021 – 2027, the Department is finalising a demand analysis project to consider the likely demand for places at Oberstown in the coming five years and to use that analysis to make strategic decisions about the future use of the campus. I expect that analysis to be complete before the year end. The Department continues to consider the matter in detail with the Oberstown Board and senior management team.