Sinn Féin's spokesperson on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Matt Carthy TD, has said the Government has failed to ensure Ireland's youth detention system is adequately resourced, warning that staff safety, available places and efforts to cut reoffending through rehabilitation are all being compromised.

Carthy, who serves as Cathaoirleach of the Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, made the remarks while attending a picket by workers at the Oberstown Children Detention Campus, where he was joined by Sinn Féin's spokesperson on Youth Justice, Mark Ward TD.

His comments come as youth offending returns to the spotlight following the fatal M9 collision in which five teenage boys died after the car they were travelling in went the wrong way on the motorway, causing a crash that left four other people seriously injured.

Teachta Carthy said: "I want to express my solidarity with the staff of Oberstown who are taking industrial action in pursuit of safe staffing levels. The concerns they are raising have been known for a considerable period and should have been addressed long before they reached this point.

"The reality is that our juvenile detention system is not fit for purpose. We know that there are not enough youth detention places available. This needs to be addressed. We know that far too often judges have nowhere to send dangerous juvenile offenders. "We need facilities that are capable of safely accommodating those who need to be detained, while also providing the supports and interventions necessary to help them turn their lives around.

"It is deeply concerning that Oberstown has been operating at or near full capacity for significant periods while simultaneously experiencing serious recruitment and staffing challenges. Staff have repeatedly raised concerns regarding safety and assaults in the workplace. Those concerns must be listened to and acted upon.

"When facilities are under pressure and when staff shortages persist the ability to deliver meaningful rehabilitation programmes is inevitably undermined. That ultimately harms not only the young people concerned but society as a whole. We know that the level of youth reoffending in this state is far higher than it should be.

"The Minister for Justice and the Minister for Children cannot continue to ignore this issue. Safe staffing levels, staff welfare and effective rehabilitation programmes are all interconnected. Ministers must now engage constructively with workers and their representatives and put in place the resources required to ensure Oberstown can fulfil its vital role while also examining what additional places are needed.

"Investing in youth justice is one of the most effective ways to reduce crime and make communities safer. Alongside early intervention and diversion programmes, that requires a detention system that is properly staffed, properly resourced and focused on giving young people the opportunity to build a better future."