Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

I am glad to have the opportunity to speak on this legislation. Like the previous two speakers, while I fully accept the need to deal with the crime and security problems in this country, and all Members receive complaints daily in this regard, there should be regard for the rights of the citizen. We should also use this opportunity to focus on what causes the problems and not condemn the entire public as the cause.

It is sad that in light of recent revelations, we are conducting this debate in the absence of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. If the positions were reversed and the Government parties were on this side of the House, they would be clamouring for the resignation of everybody from the Taoiseach down. There is not a word of apology or recognition from the Government benches. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform jumps around like an excited cuckoo briefing the media but then walks away in the face of the most damning criticism in the report published in the last 24 hours. It is timely that we are discussing a related issue this morning.

Some Members have tried to bring these issues to the attention of the Minister over recent years. How often must one say these things or to whom must one say them? All these issues were brought to the attention of the current and previous Ministers for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The issues raised this morning were raised by Deputy Howlin and Senator Jim Higgins over the past five years and are typical of the type of issues that have been raised but to which the Ministersdid not respond. It is another damning indictment.

However, let us consider the need for this Bill and what it will achieve. I believe it will achieve nothing. Crime here is appalling, as the Minister of State, Deputy Parlon, should well know. The reason is that powerful criminals get away. Daily, the young see major crime barons plying their wares with impunity, which is appalling. It is only in recent times, after continuous peppering from the Opposition, that there has been any attempt to come to grips with the problem.

We know about the crime barons living abroad, in Spain and elsewhere, and we are told the authorities know all about them. If the authorities know about them, they should do something about them. Any young potential criminal growing up can read a headline about these criminals and learn how to live — learn how to drive a top of the range car, keep a couple of boats or a few horses, and live high on the hog. That is what it means to them: crime pays, and it is paying all the time.

The present Minister has failed to deal with the issue, like his predecessor as Minister, Mr. zero tolerance. There is an attitude that we should abolish petty crime with anti-social behaviour orders. This area has been chosen because it is very easy to deal with. However, it is where the potential fault lies in the Bill.

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