Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)

I welcome some of the changes to the Bill. The watering down of the proposal for anti-social behaviour orders is a step in the right direction and I am pleased that the Minister has accepted that the Children Act must be fully implemented. It was worrying that many parts of the Act had been gathering dust on the shelf over recent years.

I take a jaundiced view of some aspects of the Bill, such as electronic tagging and the toys for boys approach to policing. More helicopters, four wheel drive vehicles and electronic tagging will not help to address the causes of crime. I also have a wider concern about the Bill that while the Minister is keen to address certain aspects of policing and enforcement, he does not have the same vigour when it comes to addressing the causes of crime. The Minister's political ideology leaves him with a blind spot when it comes to tackling the areas of social exclusion in the State that are often breeding grounds for violent crime. Many of these areas need dramatic State investment in environmental improvement, housing, education and family support, and none of that comes cheap.

I urge the Minister to ponder that and to examine the trends in these areas. As a result of the economic boom, there have been improvements in employment but people have been left behind. They require support in those areas and an investment in everything from bricks and mortar to raising people's hopes. I accept that some aspects of the Bill will help but there is a commensurate need to do more to tackle the causes of anti-social behaviour and crime.

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