A pioneering restorative justice project in Nenagh has had a success rate of 77 per cent in deterring repeat offences.
The success has led to North Tipperary Fianna Fáil TD Máire Hoctor calling for the Nenagh Community Reparation Project to be put on permanent statutory footing.
Ms Hoctor, a director of the project, said it should now be enshrined in legislation after proving itself one of the most effective projects in bringing offenders and their victims together as an alternative to a criminal conviction.
The project has been running since June 1999, and up to last September had dealt with 63 offenders.
The project was the idea of local District Court Judge Michael Reilly, and grew out of his experience of the justice system for first-time offenders in New Zealand.
Of the 63 offenders dealt with, nine refused to co-operate and were referred back to the courts. Of the remaining 54 offenders who took part, 12 reoffended.
Ms Hoctor said yesterday she believed in giving people a second chance, and this project allowed minor offenders to examine the error of their ways while at the same time giving something back to the community.
The programme allows the offender to tell their story and to seek to understand what has happened in an effort to rehabilitate themselves.