Spike in use of 'single separation' as Oberstown nears full capacity

Officials at the youth detention centre said, however, that relative increase in physical interventions has not occurred, indicating "the success of the de-escalation and early intervention".

Oberstown Youth Detention Centre in north Co  Dublin saw 129 incidents of single separation in March involving 28 of the 50 young people who were detained there that month. Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin.

The number of people placed in single separation at the country’s main youth detention centre soared to its highest level in more than four years in March — with staff attributing the situation to Oberstown being almost at capacity.

Figures show there were 129 single separations at the Oberstown Children Detention Campus in March, the highest monthly total since April 2019, when 115 single separations took place.