Children's ombudsman calls to extend youth justice sanctions to adults under 24

In a call echoed by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL), Niall Muldoon also recommended increasing the age of criminal responsibility to 14 years.

The ombudsman for children, Dr Niall Muldoon. The Office of the Ombudsman for Children has called to 'extend the principles and sanctions of the youth justice system to apply to young people up to the age of 24'.

A separate facility for the detention of young people between 18 and 24 years old should be considered, according to the Office of the Ombudsman for Children (OCO).

In a submission on the General Scheme of the Children (Amendment) Bill 2024, the ombudsman for children, Niall Muldoon, also recommended increasing the age of criminal responsibility from 12 years to 14 years.