The new court accompaniment scheme, which has been in the works since late last year, will provide young defendants with informal support and explanations of court procedures.

Victim Support at Court and the Solas Youth Diversion Project have now trained 241 youth justice workers to provide the service, with 250 out of 300 expected to be trained by the end of September.

Niall Collins, the minister of state with responsibility for international law, visited a training event in Limerick’s Absolute Hotel yesterday.

Speaking at the training, he said: “The youth justice strategy places human rights at the centre of our approach to youth justice in Ireland. The bedrock of a fair and impartial judicial system recognises that the rights of both the victim and the accused should be vindicated in court.

“We have systems in place already, through supports like the Victim Support at Court — or V-SAC — scheme, that assist victims of crime to navigate the complexities and challenges of appearing in court.

“But we must also uphold the rights of the accused.”

The Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration is delivering the service via the youth diversion project (YDP) network and has been engaging with the Ombudsman for Children, members of the judiciary and the community-based organisations responsible for the oversight of various YDPs.

Several YDPs have expressed their interest in being part of the first wave of the scheme’s introduction and are willing to provide this service in various locations throughout the country.

Mr Collins said: “The YDP court accompaniment scheme will replicate the support already provided for victims for the accused young person, many of whom will have never experienced the inside of a court before and the intimidating environment that they might find themselves in.

“As with the victim’s scheme, the role does not include advocacy or representation, as that is the role of the defendant’s legal representative. It provides a service for young defendants by accompanying them and providing informal support and explanations of court procedures as necessary.

“Legal terminology and language, court processes and procedures, the flow of legal argument and what can and cannot be said in court can be difficult or even impossible for a layperson to navigate and understand.

“Many young people who are engaged with YDPs may come from a background of educational disengagement or disadvantage, which can negatively impact on their ability to understand the Court process.

“This Scheme aims to assist these young people and ensure fairness in the justice system.”

The training package to equip youth justice workers with the necessary knowledge and skills to undertake this work has been jointly developed by V-SAC and the Solas Project and is being offered to interested project staff on a phased basis throughout 2025.

Le Chéile Mentoring (a national volunteer mentoring, restorative justice and family support service) and Oberstown Children Detention Campus representatives have indicated that their staff would benefit from receiving this training and arrangements are now being made for them to participate in future sessions.