Press release
Minister of State James Browne and Taoiseach Micheál Martin visit Togher Youth Diversion Project
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Minister of State with responsibility for Youth Justice, James Browne, and Taoiseach Micheál Martin visited the TACT Youth Diversion Project (YDP) in Togher, Cork City this afternoon.
Youth Diversion Projects (YDPs) are community based, multi-agency youth crime prevention initiatives which primarily seek to divert young people who have been, or are at risk of becoming, involved in anti-social and/or criminal behaviour.
There are 105 YDPs nationwide providing suitable activities to facilitate personal development, promote civic responsibility and improve long term employability prospects for participants.
The TACT YDP serves the Togher area and is one of 41 YDPs managed by Foróige, which is the largest Community Based Organisation in the YDP sector.
Speaking following the visit, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said:
“Visiting the TACT YDP in Togher today really underscores the importance of these projects to their wider community. The supports and interventions that they provide to young people help them develop and mature as they approach adulthood and they bring innumerable benefits to the rest of the community as a result.
"Tackling anti-social behaviour is a key priority for the government but it is important to recognise that it is a multi-faceted problem that requires a multi-faceted response. Youth Diversion Projects are a very important element of this response as they complement the excellent work of An Garda Síochána do in keeping our communities safe.”
TACT works closely with the local UBU project, The Togher Youth Project, and staff from TACT also sit on the Togher Ballyphehane Youth Network, a committee which comprises local professionals engaged in Youth Service delivery. TACT also has a Local Drug Task Force (LDTF) worker who is based in an adjoining building and provides education on drug and alcohol use and family support services.
Minister Browne said:
“I was delighted to visit the TACT Youth Diversion Project in Togher today and it was particularly pleasing to be joined by the Taoiseach in his home constituency. The TACT YDP plays a very important role in the community here in Togher, providing supports and interventions needed for young people as they move into adulthood.
"Youth Diversion Projects such as TACT are invaluable as not only do they support actions that promote safety but they also tangibly benefit young people in the communities that they are based.
"That is why the government is so committed to ensuring that they can continue to grow and develop. This is underlined by the increased investment we have provided to YDPs in recent years, with €2.5 million committed in the most recent budget on top of the €6.7 million invested in 2022.
"We know that for every cent we invest in youth justice services we will save further down the line by diverting young people away from anti-social behaviour and keeping them out of trouble with the law.”
Earlier this week Minister Browne addressed over 300 youth justice professionals who gathered in Croke Park today for a one day conference on Youth Justice. The annual conference is an important event in the calendar of youth justice workers, bringing together staff of Youth Diversion Projects across the country and members of An Garda Síochána to discuss current issues and best practice in the field of youth justice.
In addition, on Wednesday Minister Browne published a discussion paper on diverting young adults aged 18-24 year olds away from entry into the wider criminal justice system. The proposals contained in the discussion paper suggest extending a system similar to the Garda Youth Diversion Scheme to young adults aged 18-24 who offend.
Such a system would provide an alternative to prosecution for minor offences, where it could be determined that a person’s entry into the wider criminal justice system and particularly prison could result in worse outcomes for the individual and society as a whole in the longer term.
Minister Browne said:
“A conviction can result in a chain reaction of negative outcomes for a young person – limiting employment opportunities, preventing them from getting visas to travel abroad, social exclusion – all of which can feed into reoffending cycles, which is not to anyone’s benefit.
"This discussion paper will seek the views of both experts and the public to examine how we should handle young people aged between 18 and 24 who come into contact with the criminal justice system. This age group is disproportionately represented in the prison population and we see value in considering the supports and interventions needed for young people as they move into adulthood, as personal circumstances do not just change overnight when you turn 18.”
The Youth Justice Strategy 2021 – 2027 commits to extending the remit of YDPs to include family support and early intervention, amongst other priorities as detailed in the Strategy. An additional allocation of €6.7 million was included in the 2022 budget for Youth Justice Services to facilitate the implementation of the Strategy. Applications to provide additional services under the expansion were sought and when submitted totalled approximately €14 million. Following a detailed assessment of the applications, and the Minister of State’s decision, €6.7 million worth of applications were approved in June 2022.
Please see link to public consultation on diversion paths for young adults here - Public Consultation on diversion paths for young adults aged 18-24.