Minister for Justice "extremely concerned" following Laois Judge's comments

The Minister for Justice has been told people in Laois are living in fear due to reckless behaviour and repeat offending by young offenders. 

Senator Maria McCormack said “I am deeply troubled by what I am witnessing in our community in Laois and surrounding counties. I am not alone in this concern. Over the past week, I have received numerous calls from frightened and frustrated residents who feel like prisoners in their own homes, living in fear of reckless behaviour and repeat offending. One constituent said to me that the State is absent when it is needed most.”

The Sinn Féin Senator highlighted the “extraordinary” recent comments by Judge Andrew Cody in Portlaoise District Court who stated that the State is failing citizens. 

“This is a damning verdict from one of our own judges, a judge, who, in fairness, has been forced to watch the same cohort of young offenders appear before him week after week, having committed crime after crime with no meaningful consequence, no available detention space and no sign of urgency from the Government." 

Sen McCormack said Judge Cody went further saying: “There is a core to this gang here in Portlaoise who continue to commit crimes without any fear of recrimination. They do so because they know the courts, the gardaí and society have been handcuffed, while they walk free.”

“These are children, some as young as 14, stealing cars, tearing through our streets, driving the wrong way down the M7, smashing up businesses, destroying public property and uploading it all on TikTok for clout. It is being glamorised. It is being encouraged and we are being humiliated. Judge Cody was clear. The Garda and the courts are doing their best but he said the ultimate sanction and deterrent of imprisonment has been taken away because Oberstown Children Detection Centre is full,” she told Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan. 

Sen McCormack explained that two teenage boys had been sent to Oberstown only to be told it was full. 

“They were handed a sealed letter and told to bring the teenagers back to the Garda station. What message does that send? What message does it send to the victims, the public and the perpetrators? We are witnessing the complete breakdown of a youth justice system, not due to the negligence of the Garda or the Judiciary but due to Government failure,” she said.  

She said there are no places for detention but the crimes continue. 

“As Judge Cody said, these youths have done so in a shocking and dangerous manner without any regard for their own or anyone else's lives. The lesson being learned by these juveniles is that they can continue to commit crime without any consequences,” said Sen McCormack. 

She called for immediate action including the expansion of Oberstown or the provision of temporary regional youth detention facilities. 

Sen McCormack wants “a full Government-led response to organised youth crime because that is on the increase, day in, day out, particularly the grooming and recruitment tactics of gangs targeting vulnerable children; proper resourcing for gardaí to respond to these escalating crimes, including youth-specific detention and intervention units; and investment in diversion and early intervention programmes, not after the tenth arrest but when the first warning signs emerge.” 

“This is not about locking children away and forgetting about them; this is about creating a system that deters dangerous behaviour, protects the public and offers real structured rehabilitation, not TikTok fame. We need action. We do not need apologies. We need beds, not sealed letters, and we need justice, not headlines,” she continued. 

Minister O’Callaghan said “I wish to advise that, within my Department, I am delegating responsibility for youth crime to the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins. Notwithstanding that, it is an extremely important issue and I welcome the opportunity to respond to what the Senator has to say.”

“I am extremely concerned about this matter and, because of that, I had a meeting last week with the Minister for children, Deputy Foley. We discussed what could be done to increase capacity at Oberstown. She will reflect on that to see what can be done. Obviously, some individuals can be released from Oberstown, thereby providing spaces. However, I am fully aware that unless there is the prospect of a custodial sanction being imposed, in the infrequent occasion that it is necessary, then the courts and the Garda can find themselves in a situation with juvenile delinquents where there appears to be no sanction in respect of it,” he said. 

Minister O’Callaghan said there are other options available to try to stop children continuing on the pathway of criminality. 

“We are doing a disservice to children unless we try to correct their behaviour at that stage. If a child is involved in criminal behaviour at the age of 15, 16 or 17 years, then there is a strong likelihood that, by the time he or she gets to 18, that individual will be continuing with that behaviour and finally find himself or herself in prison immediately. There is a responsibility on us to try to divert children. That is why the youth diversion programme is useful,” said Minister O’Callaghan. 

“I am looking at Oberstown. I have discussed it with the Minister, Deputy Foley. We need to provide more spaces. Since our population is increasing, we are inevitably going to need more spaces in prison and youth detention centres. That is incompatible with another ambition and policy I have, that being, to try to make community sanctions available for the purpose of a penalty being imposed,” he said. 

Sen McCormack said “the issue of youth crime reached crisis point in Laois this week when there was no option and people felt that the youths got away free. There was no deterrent, leading to uproar in the community because so much car theft and other criminality was going on under our noses.”

“There is work to be done. I am delighted that the Minister is looking at Oberstown to see how we can move forward on this. I hope that lots of investment and time are put into people at a young age to deter them from crime,” she added. 

Minister O’Callaghan said “I am aware of the issues that are of concern to the Senator and An Garda Síochána. I will continue to engage with the Minister, Deputy Foley, in respect of Oberstown. There is limited space there and, as the population increases, we are regrettably finding ourselves having to deal with more delinquent children. We are doing them a disservice unless we try to divert them and, regrettably, a custodial sanction is necessary on some occasions.”