The number of cases struck out in the children's courts in Dublin due to the lack of detention places has almost quadrupled, according to figures released by the Courts Service.
The statistics show that the two dedicated children's district courts in Dublin struck out 133 cases last year - compared to 34 in 2000 and 11 in 1999 - because there were no appropriate places for the children.
Nationally, excluding Dublin, 41 cases were struck out last year for lack of places and two the previous year.
Opposition parties have criticised the Government's handling of juvenile offenders and the lack of facilities, despite an ongoing campaign by judges to highlight the crisis in this area.
Labour Party justice spokesman, Mr Pat Rabbitte, said the figures made a mockery of the Government's claim of "zero tolerance" for crime.
He said that if the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, was to "impact on this problem he needs to utilise the resources at his disposal more effectively than he has done already". The Minister "cannot turn a blind eye to the devastation being caused for many local communities by the anti-social behaviour of young ring-leaders for whom there are no suitable detention facilities", he added.
Fine Gael justice spokesman Mr John Deasy said many young people failed to see any consequences for their actions and had ceased to have any respect for the law. He called on the Minister to develop a policy of showing "no forgiveness" when dealing with the breakdown of law and order.
However, a spokesman for the Minister of State with responsibility for children, Mr Brian Lenihan, said an independent review was under way of the residential requirements of young offenders.
The figures show that 12,629 criminal matters were dealt with last year, for those under 16. Bench warrants were issued 684 times for juveniles who failed to appear in court and this was about twice the rate among accused adults.
Of the cases dealt with in Dublin last year, 22 children were sent to industrial schools, where children are sent for lesser offences. This compares with 26 commitals in 2000 and 20 in 1999.
Last year, for more serious offences, 19 offenders were sent to reformatory school for periods of between two and four years. In 2000, some 34 juveniles went to reformatory school and 52 were sent the previous year.
The High Court judge, Mr Justice Kelly, has been particularly vocal about the lack of places for young offenders.
Last year Judge Mary Collins of the district court said in the Court Services News that the hardest part for judges was sending children back "to the life of crime, drugs and prostitution - and many of them no more than 14 years of age".
