New Youth Diversion Projects for East Clare and North Tipperary

The DERG Youth Diversion Project (YDP), which will deliver enhanced supports to young people and families in East Clare and North Tipperary was officially launched today by Minister of State Niall Collins.

The DERG YDP represents a significant expansion of youth justice services in the region, following the amalgamation of the existing DEN YDP and the newly established East Clare YDP in late 2025.

The project will operate from two bases in Nenagh and Killaloe and serve a catchment area with a population of approximately 62,750 people.

YDPs work with young people who are at risk of becoming involved in anti-social or criminal behavior, supporting them to make positive choices and stay out of the criminal justice system.

The DERG YDP is operated by Foróige and is funded by the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. For 2026, the project received €570,037 to support a team of eight Youth Justice workers delivering a range of targeted interventions. The most common offences included theft, criminal damage, assault and traffic-related offences.

This project will help to deliver early intervention supports for children aged 8 to 11 who are at risk of future involvement in anti-social behavior, alongside dedicated family support services, reflecting the expanded remit of YDPs under the Youth Justice Strategy 2021-2027.

The DERG YDP will work in close partnership with An Garda Síochána, local schools, community organisations and other statutory services to deliver a coordinated response to youth offending in the region.