§ The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Mr. John Spellar)The Report on the Review of the Criminal Justice System in Northern Ireland, which flowed from the Belfast agreement, recommended in the area of youth justice that the Lisnevin Juvenile Justice Centre be closed.
Following a consultation process, the then Minister of State, right hon. Adam Ingram MP concluded that none of the existing juvenile justice centres were suitable. On 29 November 2000 he announced that the best way forward was to construct a new purpose designed facility on land available at Rathgael and that while the new centre was being built, young people already in the system should be transferred to the Rathgael campus. He also announced that Lisnevin would close.
The development of the Rathgael site is being advanced in two stages and I am pleased to announce in this statement that Phase 1, which involved the extensive renovation and up-grading of the Juvenile Justice centre on that site has now been completed and that the Lisnevin centre has closed.
The refurbished centre is now fully operational and will provide a step change in the quality of the custodial provision for juvenile offenders in Northern Ireland. It will operate as the sole custodial facility for young people in Northern Ireland, providing a satisfactory interim solution pending the construction of a purpose-built centre on the same site over the next 3 years.