Youth Diversion Project’s Commissioned For North Tipperary will be fully operational by end of this year.
- New scheme will provide assistance to children who appear before the Courts as defendants.
- Some 241 Youth Justice Workers have been trained to date, with 250 out of 300 expected to be trained by end of September.
Today’s event was held in the 4* Absolute Hotel, Limerick. The training was delivered by Victim Support at Court and Solas Youth Diversion Project, who outlined the new system of accompanying young people before the courts as defendants, while providing them with informal support and explanations of ongoing court procedures.
The Department of Justice funds a range of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) who provide court accompaniment for victims of crime, most notably Victim Support at Court (V-SAC). The role of these NGOs is to explain in layperson’s terms what is happening at the various stages of the proceedings and to be there as a support for the witness.
The role does not include advocacy or representation, as that is the role of the defendant’s legal representative.
Since late 2024, the Department has been progressing work to replicate this service for young defendants via the Youth Diversion Project (YDP) network, through engagement with the Ombudsman for Children, members of the judiciary and the Community Based Organisations responsible for the oversight of various YDPs.
Several YDPs have expressed their interest in being part of the first wave of the scheme’s introduction and are willing to provide this service in various locations throughout the country.
A training package to equip Youth Justice Workers with the necessary knowledge and skills to undertake this work has been jointly developed by V-SAC and the Solas Project and is being offered to interested project staff on a phased basis throughout 2025.
Additionally, both Le Chéile Mentoring (a national volunteer mentoring, restorative justice and family support service) and Oberstown Children Detention Campus representatives have indicated that their staff would benefit from receiving this training and arrangements are now being made for them to participate in future sessions.
Youth Diversion Projects (YDPs) are community based, multi-agency youth crime prevention initiatives which divert young people who have been, or are at risk of becoming, involved in anti-social and/or criminal behaviour.
Considerable progress has been made to extend the YDP network throughout the State. Two new YDPs have been commissioned for North Tipperary and East Clare and will be fully operational by end of year which will achieve full nationwide YDP coverage, ensuring any child who needs access to their service can get it, no matter what part of the country they are in.
YDPs receive referrals from a number of sources, including An Garda Síochána, but also from Tusla, schools and other community-based organisations.
Outside of Dublin, many YDPs cover an entire county, which makes it easy to identify the relevant project in a particular area.
Even where this is not the case, the YDP catchment areas tend to correspond with the boundaries of Garda Operational Areas and, as such, An Garda Síochána via the Juvenile Liaison Officer service will be able to advise and make contact with the relevant YDP in each case.
Discussions are also ongoing with An Garda Síochána and the Probation Service, who have expressed an interest in having Juvenile Liaison Officers and Probation Officers participate in this training.
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