Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)

I agree with much of what the previous speaker said. I worry about the vagueness of this section and that parts of the legislative model on which it is based, from British Columbia in Canada, have been struck down by the province's courts. I agree that the Garda needs the right resources for the job. I am concerned that much of the emphasis these days is on helicopters and four-wheel-drive vehicles. I would much rather see an emphasis on learning from best practice abroad, improving the education of police in Templemore and elsewhere and exposing potential members to what their peers in other third level educational establishments are learning during their education. That would help, as would better administrative back-up and computing resources.

I am very concerned at the thrust of this section, which implies that those who contribute or participate in any activity of a criminal organisation can be guilty of an offence. That goes too far, since it crosses a line in the sand. In the wrong hands, it could be used to threaten individuals who have not committed a criminal offence and have no intention of doing so. I am very mindful of the concerns put to us by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and those concerned with human rights. I therefore oppose this section.

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