Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to make a brief contribution to this worthwhile debate. As I have noted in the past week or so regarding other issues, people on the streets want Members to debate issues that are of concern to them. In the past two days, Members have focussed again on health and crime issues, as the public desires.

I applaud the efforts of my colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Brian Lenihan. I am a long-time and well-known supporter of the Lenihan family. I assure the Minister this is the case — I have demonstrated it — and I wish him well in his difficult task. I am confident he will do a superb job. I also will take this opportunity to wish the other parties' spokespersons well. A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, you will not object if I single out my constituency colleague, Deputy Pat Rabbitte, who will try hard to replace you after you did a tremendous job. I wish him well in this regard.

Many issues are raised in debates such as this, as was demonstrated by the previous two contributions. While I would like to make many points, I will focus on a few issues in the short time available, including my constituency. I represent Dublin South-West, which embraces Firhouse, Templeogue, Greenhills, the rural areas of Brittas and Bohernabreena and Tallaght. Some Members may find it surprising to learn that although Tallaght is the nation's third largest population centre, it only contains one Garda station. Garda services are also provided in my constituency from Clondalkin Garda station into Kingswood, as well as from Crumlin, Terenure and Rathfarnham Garda stations. A recent campaign for a second Garda station in the Tallaght west area has abated somewhat. Nevertheless, although the Garda authorities believe otherwise, this should be considered in future as such a major population centre should have adequate facilities. In this context it is proposed to redevelop the existing Garda station beside the Square in Tallaght. The Minister should take the opportunity to discuss the need for progress on the station's development with our colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Finance with responsibility for public works, Deputy Noel Ahern.

Moreover, while again reminding Members that Tallaght is the nation's third largest population centre, the question of manpower levels must be kept under review and the Minister should do so. While much progress has been made in recent years and certainly since I entered the Dáil, Members must devote much attention to the issue. I remember growing up in the streets surrounding Leinster House as I lived in South Great George's Street and attended school in Clarendon Street before moving to Crumlin. At the time, I always had the notion of the garda on the beat who did not want one to play football and so on. While times have moved on, I believe strongly that manpower levels in Garda stations should be such that regardless of other duties, gardaí on the beat should be supported.

I also wish to discuss briefly some other priorities. I recall my grandmother, who lived in a bygone time in Dublin. While I do not wish to make her sound controversial, I remember her telling me as a young child that whatever about serious crime such as bank robbery, she had no time for those who upset elderly people or others in communities. Forty or 50 years later, anti-social behaviour still registers with people in Tallaght and in Crumlin where I used to live and which is now represented ably by Deputy Catherine Byrne and other Members, as well as in other communities. While people are greatly concerned about serious crime, they are also concerned by annoying issues such as underage drinking or anti-social behaviour. The Minister must devote as much attention to such matters as to the major issues, on which I also support his views.

In this regard, I concur with other Members that it is important to support strongly the actions of the Minister, his predecessor and his Department in respect of dealing with young people who are in danger of falling into crime. In this context, I strongly support the Garda youth diversion projects. The Minister has recently approved funding for the new Garda youth diversion project in Brookfield, Tallaght west, and I warmly applaud that decision. This constitutes State money well spent. Previously, another project was funded in Tallaght, namely, the STAY project in the parish of St. Aengus in Tymon North. Although the Garda authorities will inform the Minister that the latter project is under some financial strain at present, I support it strongly. It is important for such projects to receive the support they deserve to reach those young people who experience difficulties and require assistance. Such use of resources is to be welcomed.

I could say much on drugs, the associated problems and the need for the Garda to stay on top of that issue. While this is not the Minister's direct responsibility, as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform he should continue to assert that the deployment of State resources in communities in which facilities and resources are needed for young people should be supported. Our colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, with responsibility for drugs strategy and community affairs, Deputy Carey, has been highly proactive in recent times. He visited the local drugs task force area in Tallaght immediately after his appointment and, subsequently, a number of projects in Tallaght have received generous funding, including the Tallaght athletic club, the Jobstown all-weather pitch and the Kilnamanagh family recreation centre. I believe that communities and the public are behind the Minister with regard to Government expenditure of such moneys. Investment in young people, particularly at times when they could fall into the danger of committing crime, is money well spent and the Minister should continue to consider this matter closely.

The Minister has many tasks before him and people knock on his door continually. I listened to other Members discuss the question of prisons and who should be incarcerated. I have always believed that although wrongdoing should be punished, we still incarcerate people who could be dealt with in other ways. I do not condone crime at any level. Nevertheless all Members have encountered cases in which people have been taken away for offences such as failure to pay television licence fees. I encountered such a case the other day in which a young man was taken away and jailed. While I do not condone wrongdoing, prison places should be reserved for those who should be locked up. There are many dangerous criminals knocking around who cannot be accommodated in prison because others are inside. There is a thin line in this regard and while I must be careful not to condone anything, an innovative and radical approach is required on this issue. The Minister should consider it in the midst of his other concerns.

I have read some publicity on how the Minister responded to an issue that arose in his neighbourhood in recent times. People desire Members to speak up for victims of crime and those affected by it. Much progress has been made in this regard in recent years. However, although I acknowledge the Minister has a broad remit, he should not forget that victims of crime still need to be cared for. I have had some personal experiences of this kind as my car has been stolen and my house has been broken into. Although such incidents were not as serious as other crimes that have taken place, I share people's concerns. The British Secretary of State for Justice, Jack Straw, has contributed to a debate on this issue.

I hope the Minister is examining all those issues. I wish him well. He has my absolute support. I know he will do well in this Ministry.

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