In June 2025, the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration provided an update on the progress made in addressing the objectives and key actions identified in the Youth Justice Strategy 2021–2027 (YJS) for 2024.1 The YJS is centred on a developmental framework that aims to target ongoing and emerging challenges in youth justice in Ireland.2 A key strength of this Strategy is that its development was informed by an expert steering group representing key stakeholders across Ireland. The implementation statement focuses on several strategic objectives identified in Appendix 3 of the YJS and builds on previous updates for 2021, 2022, and 2023.2

Governance, oversight, and consultation

The dedicated governance, oversight, and consultation structures developed to steer and support the Strategy’s implementation (Strategic Objective 1.1) were maintained in 2024. For example, the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration chaired meetings with the Governance and Strategy Group (n=3), Oversight Group (n=4), Advisory Group (n=2). Several topics were discussed, such as:

• the provision of enhanced capacity building and training opportunities to the Youth Diversion Project (YDP) network in order to target the specific needs of young people
• the implementation of the joint commissioning ‘No Wrong Door’ approach in collaboration with youth justice-related stakeholders
• the application of Empowering Children in Care’s (EPIC’s) six recommendations
• efforts to empirically prove that YDPs play a role in reducing recidivism in youth
• changes to the reporting processes used by the Garda Youth Diversion Programme Monitoring Committee.1

Cross-border cooperation

• In order to enhance cross-border cooperation, the North South Youth Justice Advisory Group met twice in 2024.1 Topics discussed included:
• amendments to relevant legislation, such as Northern Ireland’s Justice Bill 2024 and the Republic of Ireland’s Children (Amendment) Bill 2024
• exchange visits between Woodlands Juvenile Justice Centre and Oberstown Children Detention Campus
• recent criminal justice system publications in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland
• shared approaches to restorative justice and trauma-informed practice
• extensions of the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Community Resolution Notices. 

Expansions of YDPs

Efforts were made to establish two YDPs in 2024: one in North Tipperary and one in East Clare.1 Consultations were held with stakeholders in both areas in order to determine the communities’ needs and how to design the projects (Action 2.9.2).

Research Evidence into Policy, Programmes and Practice

In 2024, a Programme of Work, along with a budget and grant was agreed and signed. Updates were provided throughout 2024 to the Youth Justice Oversight Group, Youth Justice Governance and Strategy Group, Youth Justice Advisory Group, and the Research Evidence into Policy, Programmes and Practice (REPPP) Advisory Group.1

Greentown Programme

The Greentown Programme targets the influence of criminal networks on children who offend or who are involved in criminal networks via four interrelated pillars: Network Disruption, Community Efficacy, Intensive Family Support, and Pro-Social Opportunities.1,3 A range of activities and outputs was evident for the programme in 2024, including the following:

• Implementation of the Greentown Programme in Whitetown and Yellowtown continued in 2024.
• The Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration committed to funding the Greentown Programme until the end of 2026.
• An ethics application was submitted to An Garda Síochána to allow for the crime network maps update.
• A social network analysis was undertaken in order to assess, map, and confirm network connections on Yellowtown data.
• A tender proposal to the European Union Drugs Agency for REPPP to work with other European States to establish a new multidisciplinary community of practice was developed. 

YDP Research and Development team

The purpose of the Research and Development (R&D) team is to improve outcomes for children, young people, and families connected to YDPs by drawing on local and international evidence.1 The R&D team works alongside YDPs to generate new research.

• Following the 2023 amalgamation of the YDP Best Practice Team and the REPPP Action Research Team into the new REPPP R&D team, an integrated work programme was developed.
• Workshops were held with YDP staff to collaboratively design a new visual format for the Relationship Model guidance and related resources.
• Strategies to support the implementation of the Relationship Model across the YDP network were developed
• Extensive training and capacity building programme was delivered to the YDP network in 2025.
• Calls for Expressions of Interest for new YLS/CMI trainers and Restorative Practice trainers were issued. Four new trainers for each call were to commence in 2025.

Improving data usability in the youth justice system

One of the aims of the YJS Strategy 2021–2027 is to maximise the use of data and research to inform youth justice policy.1 Several related activities and outputs by REPPP were evident in 2024, such as the following:

• YDP annual performance report datasets (2016–2023) and YDP annual plan reports (2021–2023) were anonymised and transferred from the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to REPPP to be cleaned and analysed.
• A data study handbook was produced and code for statistical analysis was developed. Three data study reports are currently in development.1

Implementation studies

• REPPP is exploring implementation policy and practice in several projects, such as:
• Implementation of the Relationship Model Guidance
• Implementation of the YJS 2021–2027, titled How can a Published Strategy Better Contribute to the Implementation of Youth Justice Policy Intentions? A Case Study of the Irish Youth Justice Strategy 2021–2027
• the No Wrong Door Project, which explores the needs of young people who are at risk of being in contact with the criminal justice system.1

Local Leadership Programme

REPPP’s Local Leadership Programme brings together professionals working in public service organisations who can contribute leadership and influence towards tackling ‘wicked’ or complex problems.1

Stable Lives Safer Streets

Funded under the North South Research Programme, collaborations between the Higher Education Authority, REPPP researchers, Queen’s University Belfast, and the Centre for Effective Services aim to deliver a range of work packages in order to consolidate youth justice research; respond to policy priorities, activities, and outputs; and translate and implement evidence-informed policy into practice. In 2024, these included a published study on child criminal exploitation.4 Other studies are ongoing and include the following:

• Transitioning from Care, Supports Systems and Contact with the Justice System
• Developing a pragmatic self-report measurement framework
• An exploration of the feasibility of using virtual reality to objectively measure psychosocial factors associated with youth offending
• A study of how a published strategy can better contribute to the implementation of youth justice policy intentions – a case study of the Irish Youth Justice Strategy 2021–2027; and
• No Wrong Door: exploring service delivery and complexity through the voices of young people, parents, and frontline practitioners.

Garda Youth Diversion Programme

The Garda National Youth Diversion Bureau (GNYDB) carried out a range of initiatives in 2024, as described in the following subsections.

Greentown Programme

The GNYDB is responsible for coordinating An Garda Síochána’s participation in the Greentown Programme.1 In 2024, more work was completed on designing and implementing the Network Disruption pillar of the Greentown Programme by requesting additional research support from the Garda Research Unit. The An Garda Síochána analysis service has started to produce network maps for each trial site for internal use, which will help inform the delivery of the Network Disruption pillar. In addition, members of An Garda Síochána took part in a field visit to the Ministry of Justice in the Netherlands in 2024 in order to increase their understanding of the Dutch ‘Prevention with Authority’ programme.1

Youth Joint Agency Response to Crime

The Youth Joint Agency Response to Crime (Y-JARC) is a multi-agency approach to managing and targeting offending in youth.1 The GNYDB coordinates An Garda Síochána’s involvement in Y-JARC. In 2024, the Y-JARC Diamond Project was established in the Dublin Metropolitan Region North Central Division. Further development of Y-JARC was expected to continue in 2025.

Bail Supervision Scheme

The GNYDB provides oversight of the Bail Supervision Scheme. In 2024, a review was conducted of the Scheme’s processes and procedures. This work is ongoing.

Young Persons Probation support

In 2024, the Probation Service, via the Young Persons Probation (YPP) service in Ireland, collaborated with Northern Ireland’s Youth Justice Agency via quarterly cross-border meetings. The aim was to share experiences and practices in order to increase understanding across jurisdictions. Joint training initiatives were explored and were to start in 2025. Overall, 764 children and young people were referred to YPP in 2024; 683 pre-sanction reports were prepared for the courts; and 690 Supervision Orders were given through the courts. Other reports were also requested, including pre-sanction reports (n=51) to consider community service and the Central Criminal Courts (n=8). The YPP has four dedicated YPP teams located in areas with the highest needs (Dublin North, Dublin South, Limerick/Clare, and Cork). In addition, a probation officer operates 2 days per week in Oberstown Children Detention Campus, providing assessments to the courts as well as group work intervention for young people involved in sexual crime.

The Probation Service works alongside Oberstown Children Detention Campus to manage and care for children and youth on remand. In 2024, in collaboration with Tusla’s National Inter-Agency Prevention Programme (NIAPP) and Assessment Consultation Therapy Service, a group work response was rolled out for young people detained for sexual offences in order to ensure that they have access to specialist treatment and rehabilitation. Five probation officers have been seconded to the NIAPP for one day per week. They co-facilitate the treatment programmes in Cork, South Dublin, North Dublin, Meath, Limerick, Oberstown, and Kerry on a part-time basis. In addition, in-reach services were provided by a YPP probation officer on the Oberstown Children Detention Campus to facilitate offence-focused programmes and work with children one to one. In light of increased court requests for restorative justice practices, the Probation Service provided relevant bespoke training to all YPP personnel.

Oberstown Children Detention Campus

In 2024, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality worked alongside the Oberstown Children Detention Campus in order to inform medium- and longer-term planning, budgeting, and service development, as well as research-based assessment of likely demands for detention places and services. A multi-stakeholder round table on youth detention was held in December 2024. Key youth justice stakeholders discussed how to apply the principle of last resort in the detention of children. Work to embed the Children’s Rights Policy Framework into all aspects of life on the Oberstown Children Detention Campus continued in 2024. The focus was on the provision of training opportunities during and after detention. As part of the ‘Preparation for Leaving’ model of care, links were developed with employers. The main highlight of this work was a careers fair held in November 2024 that was attended by employers and young people.

Conclusion

This is the fourth implementation statement on the progress being made to achieve the objectives under the Youth Justice Strategy 2021–2027.2 As evidenced by the fourth implementation statement, while a lot of work has already been completed, further work is ongoing. The Strategy is centred on a developmental framework; this, along with developing and implementing suitable structures and systems, facilitates flexibility to respond to new issues as they arise. Thus, the Strategy is a living document.2 Further progress reports are expected annually.

1    Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration (2025) Youth Justice Strategy, 2021-2027: 2024 Implementation Statement. Dublin: Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. Available from: https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/YJS_Implementation_Statement_2024.pdf

2    Department of Justice (2021) Youth Justice Strategy 2021–2027. Dublin: Department of Justice. Available from: https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/34061/

3    Department of Children and Youth Affairs (2016) Lifting the Lid on Greentown: Why we should be concerned about the influence criminal networks have on children’s offending behaviour in Ireland. Dublin: Government Publications. Available from: https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/26850/

4    Sheehan K, Walsh C and Cusack A (2024) ‘It’s a group-on-one’: social disconnection as a tool of and defence against child criminal exploitation in the Republic of Ireland. Crime Prevention and Community Safety, 26: 266–284. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41300-024-00216-5