DOMESTICATION OF THE YOUTH JUSTICE STRATEGY IN FINGAL

Observation in the name(s) of Councillor JK Onwumereh and Councillor Tom Kitt

To ensure that the 2023 to 2029 Fingal Development Plan domesticates the Youth Justice Strategy (YJS) 2021 - 2027 to ensure that young people in Fingal are treated with utmost consideration for their human rights and care when they are caught on the presumed wrong side of the law.

The YJS is "conceived largely as a developmental framework, which provides a starting point for a range of actions and initiatives. It is grounded on child welfare principles, deriving in particular from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Objectives in the Strategy are premised on the need to maximise opportunities to promote positive behavioural change, and it includes a wide range of issues relevant to children and young people at risk of coming into contact with the criminal justice system, including:

• early intervention and preventative work
• family support
• diversion from crime
• court processes
• supervision and support in the community
• detention and support post release

Pursuing this broad agenda will be based on cooperative working as reflected in the Vision Statement for the Strategy:

"Collaborating across all sectors of government and society in the development and delivery of opportunities for children and young people, to harness support in their families and communities in order to strengthen their capacities to live free from crime and harm."

The Strategy emphasises evidence-informed development of programmes and interventions. Implementation of the Strategy will prioritise enhancement of existing services such as Garda Youth Diversion Projects (GYDPs) and developing a range of more specialised interventions with a particular focus on harder-to-reach children and young people."