Oberstown youth detention facility making ‘clear progress’

The country’s youth detention facility is on the right track despite some difficulties in recent years, according to the latest Oberstown annual report.

The report for 2016/17 has been laid before the Oireachtas, and Dr Ursula Kilkelly, chair of the Board of Management of Oberstown Children Detention Campus, wrote in the report foreword: “There is no doubt that the Campus experienced some very serious challenges in 2016 and 2017.”

However, she added: “Throughout 2017, there has been clear and substantial progress made in bringing stability to Campus operations to the benefit of both young people and staff.

Central to this was the ‘Oberstown Strategic Plan 2017-2020’, which sets out best practice in a range of areas.

One major issue was the “substantial industrial relations difficulties” on the campus in 2016, and criminal damage by young people during strike action in August of that year. A legal action was also brought by five young people against Oberstown with respect to their treatment, with a judgment handed down by the High Court last November.

Last year there were 135 young people detained at Oberstown — 48 serving committal orders and 87 on remand orders.