Barnardos: Early education vital in saving children from crime

Leading children's charity Barnardos is recommending early intervention and education as the most important factors in preventing young people from falling into crime or drugs.

The group says the first few years of a child's life are crucial in fostering the positive attitudes necessary to become a fully contributing adult citizen later on.

Chief Executive Fergus Finlay said he wants politicians to focus on investing in pre-school education for children.

"I spoke to a group of schoolteachers in inner-city Dublin and one of them said that every year he gets a new group of five- and six-year-olds into his school, he can tell which ones are bound for Mountjoy. If there's one way to stop that, it's to get to those kids earlier.

"If I had to pick one thing I would say: Invest in good quality pre-school education," he said.