Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important Private Member's Bill on restorative justice and the issues involved. Crime has a heavy impact on victims and we must always remember the profound effect that it can have across all aspects of a victim's life. Whether the victim is a person, a homeowner or a business there can be financial consequences to crime and all victims will suffer some kind of emotional impact. In discussing crime and justice we must always remember the rights of victims.

When we are dealing with our approach to crime we must also think about those who commit it, we must ensure that our justice system provides opportunities for people to put right wrongs that they may have committed. Giving people an opportunity to avoid criminal records, to avoid prison, can provide opportunities to reduce crime rates and, at an early stage, turn people away from criminal activities. We must all strive to ensure that happens. In giving people an opportunity to change their ways we must ensure there are still consequences and that we do not allow people to reoffend multiple times before the justice system kicks in. People must understand that their actions have consequences. I thank Deputy Halligan for proposing this Bill and for making proposals on restorative justice.

In his fine speech Deputy O'Brien spoke about restorative justice but what does it really mean? It ensures that victims, offenders and the community work together in response to crime to prevent it recurring. It is not a question of condoning harmful behaviour but it is aimed at communities and supporting individuals, while holding them to account for their actions. The concept of restorative justice is wider than making monetary payments for losses which arise from criminal events. It is intended to meet the needs of victims and encourage offenders to take responsibility for their actions. The concept should underpin our approach to crime prevention, our approach to investigations and prosecutions and must be the underlying rationale of any punishment administered by the courts.

Last Saturday afternoon in Cork city, where the Minister of State and I live, on one of the city's busiest streets, there was a dreadful assault which occurred in broad daylight: two young people attacked a homeless person. Thankfully gardaí were quickly on the scene; the victim, I am pleased to say, will hopefully make a full recovery, and there have been two arrests.

Incidents like the one last Saturday get much media attention but we must consider the overall rates of crime rather than just one or two high profile incidents. Winthrop Street is one of the busiest streets in Cork and each afternoon and weekend many teenagers hang out in the vicinity of the fast food outlets and shops there. While some people may feel somewhat intimidated by large groups, most of the time there are no unsavoury incidents and we must acknowledge the excellent behaviour of the vast majority of teenagers.

Last Saturday's incident, however, highlights the need to provide alternative places for young people to gather.

There should be engagement between Cork City Council and young people across the city on providing facilities where young people can gather away from busy streets. Gardaí in Cork are proactive in how they deal with crime, responding to community needs and redeploying resources as required. Over a three year period from 2011 to 2013 there have been 170 incidents on Winthrop Street, an average of just over one incident per week. So far this year there have nine incidents on Winthrop Street, two thirds of which occurred at night. This is in keeping with trends of the last three years which consistently show that most incidents occur on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. I use these figures to reassure people that during the day, and even at night, the streets of Cork are safe and that high profile incidents are a rare exception. At last week's meeting of the Anglesea Street local policing district forum management committee, gardaí presented up to date crime figures which indicated that thefts, assaults and public order offences were down in Cork city centre. This downward trend is welcome and must be attributed to the excellent work of the gardaí in Cork city. The progressive community policing by gardaí in Cork helps create a sense of community and responsibility. I hope this will continue.

All crimes have victims and all crimes instil fear beyond their direct victims. By ensuring that the concept of restorative justice underpins all aspects of the criminal justice system we can deliver a process that respects and prioritises the rights of victims, creates a sense of community and offers those who have committed minor offences an opportunity to change their ways and make amends for their wrongs. I look forward to the Minister's proposals on the Community Justice (Community Sanctions) Bill, which will provide for a proper system of victim compensation and a system of restorative justice for minor offences at District Court level.

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