An initiative to rationalise and restructure the youth justice system will be considered in the autumn, according to the Minister for Justice.
Michael McDowell, at the launch yesterday of the annual report of the Courts Service, said a report from a special project set up at the Department of Justice was at an advanced stage and would be with him shortly.
It had evaluated international best practice and consulted widely, including with members of the judiciary.
He said the youth justice system was characterised by the involvement of many departments and agencies, with the danger of a breakdown in responsibility.
"Clear strategic leadership is needed to drive a co-ordinated approach to youth offending," he said. "Across the care and justice sectors, but among the justice family in particular, it is essential to renew our focus on establishing youth justice as a joint strategic priority."
Referring to the annual report, he said the proposed criminal courts complex, to be built at Phoenix Park by public-private partnership, would be the largest single investment in a courts project in the State's history.
It is intended that this complex, which will house 22 courts, dealing with criminal matters from District to Central and Special Criminal Court level, will be completed by 2008.
While there was a reduction in cases dealt with in the District and Circuit courts, there was an increase in their complexity and in the number of cases that went to jury trial, according to the chief justice.
Chief Justice Mr Justice John Murray also said the new legislation allowing limited access to the family courts struck the correct balance between transparency of the courts and the privacy of parents and children involved.
In marital breakdown cases there were usually no winners, he said. The new measures, which would be kept under review, should allow this area of law to be better understood and avoid reliance on what were known as "anecdotal accounts, most of which, on the basis of what I have seen, are inaccurate."
Mr McDowell said the measures he had introduced in the Courts and Civil Liability Act would enable those concerned with instructing public opinion and in carrying out genuine research to have access to the family courts.
Referring to those who had criticised him for not allowing access to journalists, he said: "It would be very naive to think that journalists could just present themselves in each and every case. In a small rural town, it would be no consolation to a family [ involved in a family law dispute] to know that their names would not be published.
"Most family law is at District or Circuit Court level." the Minister added. "Matters of the most intimate nature are discussed, which should be secret. They include people's personalities, their addictions, their education prospects. All of these are matters which are entitled to be kept private. It is not enough to say that the conventions that operate in rape cases would be sufficient.
"This issue was considered at length by the Cabinet. The legislators in particular were concerned that members of the fourth estate should not sit in on each and every family law case."