Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, has launched new ground-breaking research published by the University of Limerick and announced the commencement of a newly designed community intervention programme based on that research. These intervention programmes will offer new hope and opportunities for children caught up in serious and prolific crime.
For the last five years, the Greentown project has lifted the lid on a hidden crime problem in Ireland, uncovering significant evidence of children’s engagement in crime networks. The research indicates that up to 1,000 children across the State could be involved with a criminal network.
This innovative project, a partnership between the School of Law at University of Limerick, the Department of Justice and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) provides new insights into how criminal networks attract and confine children, encouraging and coercing them to be involved in serious crime and limiting their opportunities to escape their influence.
The reports are available at the links below: