Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak on this important debate on crime. We all have to face up to the reality that we have a major crime problem. We have a duty to do our best, whether as Members of the Oireachtas, parents, teachers, or members of our communities. We must work together on this matter.

There are different levels of crime, from extreme, violent crime using guns or knives, to local, anti-social activity. When it comes to constituency queries, crime is at the top along with health, disabilities, education and housing.

In recent days in my constituency the murder of Finbar Dennehy occurred, and prior to that there was the horrific murder of Donna Cleary. I offer my deepest sympathy to the family and friends of these two people. I was not happy with the media coverage of Mr. Dennehy's murder, as some of the reporting was intrusive. Crime victims are human beings and have families and friends. I urge all who work in the media to respect the victims of crime.

We must be radical and creative in terms of the solutions to crime. First, we must declare war on social and educational disadvantage. We must invest in our communities and our young people. I warmly welcome the fact this process has already started in schools. I raised these issues with the Taoiseach during the discussions I had with him during the summer. I look forward to the roll out of more services for disadvantaged communities in the next five years.

Yesterday, the Minister of State with responsibility for children, Deputy Brendan Smith, launched a major project for disadvantaged parents. He approved the community child care subvention scheme under the national child care investment programme, NCIP. This scheme, which was specifically designed to assist the most disadvantaged parents with their child care costs, has been allocated €153 million over the next three years. This represents a 16% increase in funding over the previous equal opportunities childcare programme.

The new scheme is targeted at parents in receipt of social welfare payments or engaged in education and training or work experience programmes. In effect, this will mean providers will be grant-aided according to the service they provide. This supports a key objective of the NCIP to support families and break the cycle of poverty and disadvantage by targeting resources where they are needed most. The new scheme will improve our capacity to target resources to services for high numbers of disadvantaged parents. It also carries forward commitments under the new programme for Government. I commend the Minister of State, Deputy Brendan Smith, on this new and radical programme.

If we tackle disadvantage and poverty, it will be a major arm in our campaign against crime. Children and young people are not born criminals but become criminals through dysfunctional families, child neglect, poverty, literacy problems and other forms of disadvantage. This approach must be the first rung of the ladder in the battle against crime.

The victims of crime need our support and we should listen to them. As I speak, a victim of crime is protesting at the gates of Leinster House. Peter Preston is on hunger strike, his second in the past 12 months. He is demanding justice and an end to corruption in our justice system. He believes he has been let down, especially in the way his innocent daughter was ruthlessly stabbed in the face in a pub. He wants this matter to be addressed. It is not good enough how his family has been treated. He is also highlighting the issue of under age drinking and the manner in which some pubs and off-licences sell alcohol to young people and hide behind their actions.

All Members of this House should understand Peter Preston's case and support him on this issue. He is a victim. His hunger strike is serious and we cannot have a situation where a person dies at the gates of Leinster House. We must ensure all citizens are treated with respect in our justice system. Nobody should be above the law. Peter Preston's voice should be heard, especially in a modern, inclusive society. Above all, Peter Preston deserves justice.

It is important in the context of community policing that we encourage minority communities and foreign nationals to join the police service. I welcome them. I urge the Minister and the Garda to be more open on the question of Sikhs serving in the Garda Síochána. Members of the Sikh community approached the Garda and asked to join. They seek our support, especially on the issue of wearing the turban as part of the Garda uniform. A member of the Irish Sikh community wanted to serve his local community by joining the Garda Reserve force. Having successfully passed three phases of training, when he commenced the fourth phase of training at the Garda station he was told by the human resource department he would have to remove his turban and wear a uniform cap if he wanted to continue.

This was a shock for members of the Irish Sikh community who had been assured repeatedly by the Garda authorities during the consultation process held over the previous two years that the turban would be accommodated without any difficulty. A typical response was they did not see any reason turbans should be a problem, especially when they are part of police uniforms around the world. Sikhs are required by their faith to keep their hair uncut and covered by a turban.

Sikhism is the fifth largest and youngest religion with 25 million followers throughout the world, 20 million of whom live in India. There are approximately 1,500 Sikhs living in Ireland. They believe in honest and truthful living, commitment to community service, social justice, tolerance and mutual respect for other cultures, which make them ideal citizens of every country where they live. The contribution of Sikhs is noticeable in every walk of life, but more so in law enforcement agencies throughout the world.

In the last two world wars, 83,000 turban wearing Sikhs died and 109,000 were wounded in the cause of freedom. Sikhs still make up 10% to 15% of all ranks in the Indian army and one fifth of its officers, while they form 1.87% of the Indian population. Apart from India, the United Nations, the London Metropolitan Police, the Canadian army, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the US army, the New York Police Department, the PSNI, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have all allowed turban wearing Sikhs to serve their respective countries. Countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and even Pakistan recognise the Sikhs' right to wear the turban and accommodate it as part of the official uniform of their forces. I support that position. I urge the Garda Commissioner and the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to review and change their position on this policing issue. It would send out a positive message that they respect all cultures and all religions.

With regard to armed crime, it is important we wake up and take account of the reality on the ground. We have a crisis on the drugs issue. Operation Anvil is an excellent operation and I commend all the gardaí involved. From my experience on the north side of Dublin, I know of the great work being done in this and other crime prevention operations. We need to fund, resource and support the gardaí involved.

I offer my sympathy to Garda Paul Sherlock and his family following his brutal shooting while on duty. Thankfully, he is recovering but that incident is not acceptable in any modern society. If we do not draw a line in the sand following that case, and with regard to Donna Cleary's slaughter, something is radically wrong with the country. However, while we need armed operations such as Operation Anvil and armed gardaí within the force, the vast majority of gardaí remain unarmed, a position I support and which is supported by the vast majority of the community.

In tackling crime, it is important we focus on disadvantaged communities as part of the strategy. It is no use introducing more legislation because it will not work. We need to assist alienated communities and those who are being hammered every night in their communities. Every day in my constituency I see that men and women are afraid to come out of their houses. To tackle crime, we need to tackle poverty and educational disadvantage. We need quality, accountable policing and we need people to do the job.

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