Detention of young people in adult prisons to end

Children’s Minister Dr Katherine Zappone will “shortly” sign a ministerial order to end the detention of under-18s in adult prisons.

Dr Zappone said she secured Cabinet agreement earlier today for the measure.

She tweeted: “Cabinet has agreed to end the sentencing of children to adult prisons - I will be signing an order shortly to make this happen.”

The practice, which the previous government had committed to ending by 2012, could now be banned within weeks.

As of February, seven young men were in Wheatfield Place prison.