The Youth Diversion Programme is provided for in the Childrens Act 2001. The Diversion Programme is supported by a network of Youth Diversion Projects (YDPs).
The Garda Youth Diversion Programme is provided for in the Childrens Act 2001. The Diversion Programme is supported by a network of Youth Diversion Projects (YDPs).
YDPs are community-based multi-agency crime prevention initiatives, which seek to divert young people who have become involved in crime/anti-social behaviour and to support wider preventative work within the community and with families at risk. There are currently 101 YDPs throughout the State. By the end of December 2025 there will be complete coverage of the YDP service throughout the State.
YDPs aim to bring about the conditions whereby the behavioural patterns of young people towards law and order can develop and mature through positive interventions and interaction with the project. They are primarily targeted at 12-17 year old “at risk” youths in communities where a specific need has been identified and where there is a risk of them remaining within the justice system.
The objectives of the YDP are to:
As per the Youth Justice Strategy 2021-2027, the existing mandate for YDPs has expanded and all YDPs will be required to; undertake early intervention work with 8 to 11 year olds who are at risk of engaging in criminality or anti-social behaviour later in life, provide tailored support to the families of their participants, support schools to retain YDP participants in the education system, and conduct outreach work with those children and young people who have been identified as harder-to-reach.
Funding for these interventions is based on evidence that diverting young offenders from the criminal justice system, and preventative work with young people at risk, is to their long-term benefit and that of society as a whole.
YDPs are administered by the Department of Justice’s Crime Victims and Youth Justice Policy Unit and Funds Administration Unit. Each project is managed by a Community Based Organisation (for example: Foróige, Youth Work Ireland, Crosscare). In Budget 2024 a further €2.9 million for youth diversion measures which is a 10% increase on 2023 was secured, bringing the total budget to over €33 million. Diversion Projects are co-funded by the Irish Government and European Social Fund as part of the ESF+ Programme 2021-2027.
The European Social Fund + (ESF+) provides the European Union with the financial means to invest in people. The current round of funding will run from 2021 to 2027. The Department of Justice secured co-funding for Youth Diversion Projects through the ESF+ Programme 2021-2027 for the specific purpose of improving the education and employability prospects of young people engaged in the projects. The allocation of the funding is subject to a number of conditions as outlined in the EU circulars. These regulations can be found on the EU Funds website .
The Youth Diversion Projects are also funded by the Dormant Accounts Fund.