Mr. Oisín Quinn:

I am thankful for this opportunity to speak to the committee about the possibility of introducing community courts. As Lord Mayor of Dublin, I receive correspondence from those who visit our city and they recount their experiences, both good and bad. One of the common negative experiences surrounds anti-social behaviour which affects the quality of life for those living and working in the city. Issues such as drug use and drug dealing on our streets, theft, alcohol related crimes and graffiti are ones which some may perceive as relatively minor in comparison with other major crimes. However, these have a huge impact on the lives of those living and working in the city and they can also give a negative perception of the city. A perception of the city not being safe can undo all the good work done by organisations such as Dublin City Council, the Garda, business associations and tourism groups. In addition to caring for the quality of life of all our citizens, Dublin is the capital city and the economic driver of Ireland. It is in all our interests for Dublin to do well and to be seen as the ideal location to set up business or to come to visit.

As Lord Mayor, I chair the Dublin city local business policing forum which addresses issues within the city centre from a business and-or policing point of view.

One of the main topics raised is the low level crimes described. Numerous possible solutions have been discussed, one being community courts. The Dublin City Business Association, DCBA, has outlined to us examples of how the system works in the United States and the United Kingdom. The option of having an instant reaction to a crime and an integrated approach to addressing both the crime committed and the issues of the person who has carried out the act is one which is of great interest to the forum. In some cities in the United States this has led to a reduction of 82% in the number of repeat crimes, as defendants are referred to the services they require and start to turn their lives around. Their sentences are also ones which assist the community, leading to those in the relevant areas seeing swift justice.

The Dublin city local business policing forum has recently commenced an outreach team initiative between the city council, the Garda and the Ana Liffey drug project. The aim of the initiative is to tackle the problem of anti-social behaviour on the streets of central Dublin on a practical case by case basis. The pilot phase of the initiative was carried out in late 2013 and initial reports indicate a co-ordinated approach by the Garda and Dublin City Council, including homeless services and the drugs centre, would be beneficial to provide a speedy response for those in need. With different agencies supporting the initiative, it would be possible to provide advice and support in areas such as housing and drug addiction at the same time. An additional function of the outreach team in time could be to attend and assist community courts to give quick support to those in need.

A former Lord Mayor, Mr. Andrew Montague, produced a report by a commission on anti-social behaviour during his term of office in 2011 to 2012. Representatives from a wide range of stakeholders took part in the commission, including elected members of Dublin City Council, the Garda, the Department of Justice and Equality, the Probation Service, the HSE and drug treatment centres. One of the main themes was the speed of the criminal justice system. All crime statistics show that where crime is dealt with swiftly, it has a longer lasting effect on the perpetrator. The use of community courts would mean that fewer people who have committed low level crimes in the city would have to go through the District Court and prison system. The benefits would include a collaborative approach by relevant authorities; the courts and prison systems being used for more serious offenders; and citizens seeing community service in action in their neighbourhood. In addition, by supporting the defendants at that point it would assist them in turning their lives around and reduce the ongoing legal and criminal costs to the State.

We already have clear recommendations for the establishment of community courts in Ireland from the National Crime Council in its 2007 report, Problem Solving: Justice – the Case for Community Courts in Ireland. It gives an outline of community courts, including research from community courts in the United States and the United Kingdom. One of its recommendations is that a community court be established in the inner city of Dublin to deal with quality-of-life offences committed in the Store Street and Pearse Street Garda stations catchment areas and that when convincing evidence of their success emerges, community courts be extended to other centres, subject to necessary refinements.

The city centre would be an ideal pilot area for community courts. In the Store Street and Pearse Street catchment areas we have the main shopping, tourism and transport centres of the city. A huge volume of people pass through the city centre every day. Last year 27 million people passed through O’Connell Street and only 16 minor assaults were reported to An Garda Síochána up to the end of November. However, this is not what the perception of the O’Connell Street area would lead one to believe. A community court in the city centre would ensure the visible targeting of low level crime in the city centre and lead to multiple benefits for the city in terms of quality of life for those living in the city, satisfaction in the business community and an increase in the number of tourists.

I call on the Government to consider establishing a working committee to set up a pilot scheme for community courts in the capital. I would be happy to assist in any way I could.