James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)

I wish to share time with Deputy Clune.

I welcome the chance to speak on this important matter that has implications for every man, woman and child in this country. Few citizens have not been adversely affected by crime in the past decade and by the scandalous inability of the Fianna Fáil Government to tackle the changing face of criminal activity, which seems to indicate that life is cheap given the large number of gun-related crimes over the past two to three years. Gun crime, killing motivated by greed and revenge, much of which is drug related, has reached epidemic proportions and is a massive indictment of this Government. After ten years in Government and over ten years after the horrific murder of Ms Veronica Guerin, Fianna Fáil has done nothing to tackle the rise in gangland crime.

Decent people are robbed and assaulted in their homes and communities are ravaged by the scourge of drug-related and other crime. Ordinary people feel the justice system is tilted in favour of criminals rather than unfortunate victims and are all too conscious that many sentences handed down for serious crime are an insult to the concept of justice. I was surprised the previous speaker referred to this, given that he comes from the Government side of the House. Prisons are operating a swinging door policy and the punishment is definitely not fitting the crime.

With regard to criminal activity at local level, I wish to highlight in particular the position in my area of Longford-Westmeath and the midlands, an area with which the Minister is familiar and where he has his roots, where the supposed rural pace of life is being threatened and its peace and tranquility are being overturned by excess and threats of violence and intimidation. Overall, the number of headline offences in the midlands between the end of the second quarter of 2006 and the end of the second quarter of 2007 has increased by 1.5%. While the number of offences across the State has decreased by 1.1%, a small percentage over the same period, according to the Central Statistics Office in its most recent report, analyses show that between the end of the second quarter of 2006 and the end of the second quarter of 2007 the number of headline offences in the midlands increased by 44, representing a rise of 1.5%. Over the same period the number of such offences across the State decreased by approximately 1,000, from 104,682 at the end of the second quarter of 2006 to 103,682 at the end of the second quarter of 2007. This is not a cause for Government self-congratulation, but is caused by people who have lost confidence in the justice system not reporting crimes. I know of several persons who have not reported crimes because they stated that nothing will happen and one will only get the sympathy of the Garda Síochána on the issue. According to the Central Statistic Office, headline crime statistics are interpreted as referring to serious crime incidence but while considered to be the most serious, they do not represent all crime figures.

The fear of crime is greater in the midlands compared to the average levels for the State. Indeed, the findings highlighted that the perceptions of crime are higher than the national average in four out of five key indicators. The level of crime in Longford-Westmeath over the past year has frequently grabbed headlines in the national press. There were four raids in Longford last year. There were also a similar number of raids in County Westmeath over the same period. The recent dreadful murder of a young mother in Longford town shocked the county and the entire country. One of the saddest cases I heard in the past year was that of two elderly sisters who reported a break-in at 7 p.m. one evening and had to wait until 11 a.m. the following morning for the gardaí to arrive on the scene.

To answer the crime rate in the midlands the Minister, Deputy Brian Lenihan, and the Government need to honour their promise to provide 2,000 extra gardaí. The Minister needs to achieve a visible Garda presence on our streets and to equip the Garda properly. The criminals are better equipped than the Garda Síochána and it is sad to have to say so.

The trouble with the law these days is that criminals know their rights better than their wrongs. Perhaps the trouble with this Government is that inaction encourages them in their misapprehension, but therein lies the rub. A government teaches the people by example. If by chance the Government becomes the law breaker, it breeds contempt for law and invites every man and woman to become a law unto themselves which invites anarchy. My party is the one with the record of standing for law and order and I wish the Minister would adopt the policy of former Ministers from this side of the House, former Deputy Paddy Cooney from my constituency and former Deputy Nora Owen, and indeed of my party's spokesperson who made a fine speech here today, Deputy Charles Flanagan.

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