Flanagan pledges action on child detention conditions

Conditions in child detention facilities and how juveniles are treated in the justice system will be addressed, newly appointed Minister for Children Charlie Flanagan has pledged.

The Laois-Offaly TD made the commitment after Taoiseach Enda Kenny announced his appointment in the Dáil yesterday.

Mr Flanagan also admitted mistakes had been made by gardaí and the Department of Justice as his appointment followed the resignation of Justice Minister Alan Shatter.

With Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald moved to the justice post, Mr Flanagan was elevated from the backbenches and given the senior Cabinet post.

First elected as a TD in 1987, he succeeded his father, Oliver J Flanagan, and later went on to become Fine Gael’s spokesman on justice, as well as children, before he was appointed parliamentary party chairman under the current Coalition.

Despite having sided with the failed heave against Mr Kenny’s leadership of Fine Gael in 2010, Mr Flanagan said he had a good working relationship with Mr Kenny.

There had been much speculation that Mr Flanagan, a qualified solicitor, would be appointed as Mr Shatter’s replacement, but he received the children portfolio in the end.

Outlining his first priorities in his new post, Mr Flanagan said he wanted to address concerns about the detention of children.

He told RTÉ’s Drivetime: “I’m very interested in the development and changes in the national child detention facilities. That’s an area that has been sadly neglected over the years.

“I think it’s absolutely essential that with improvements there is a more humane face on the detention facilities.”

Mr Flanagan said there could be improvements in the nature of how children are detained and the type of facilities.

He said he also wanted to look at care facilities for children as well as issues surrounding adoption.

Meanwhile, a replacement for Mr Flanagan as parliamentary party chairman will be decided and voted upon by members on Wednesday.