Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick East, Fine Gael)

I echo the sentiments of my colleagues, Deputies Noonan and Jan O'Sullivan, in welcoming the Limerick north-side and south-side regeneration projects. The House is discussing a technical amendment to section 5, but I will address the north-side and south-side specifically. As Deputy Jan O'Sullivan stated, there is considerable hope, but an element of apprehension on a number of levels. A long-term Government commitment to the project, which will last from five years to ten years, is desired. We have much to learn from the Comptroller and Auditor General's recently published report on the Ballymun regeneration project to ensure the projects in Limerick succeed. The Ballymun report referred to the need to provide education and social services in tandem with bricks and mortar. There is a danger that the Government will highlight the more visible bricks and mortar aspect ahead of the vital education and social services aspect.

Mr. Brendan Kenny has done an excellent job in Limerick and has been welcome. Following the Fitzgerald report, he has had many interactions with the regeneration areas. However, one must consider the matter from the overall viewpoint and be objective. I was critical of an aspect of Mr. John Fitzgerald's report when it was produced, namely, that there was no consultation with people living in the areas adjoining the regeneration areas. It is welcome that this necessary measure is now being taken.

The report stated that a policing structure headed by a superintendent and involving a minimum of 100 gardaí should be established and dedicated to the regeneration areas exclusively. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Brian Lenihan, commented when I raised this issue during last night's Adjournment debate on gangland crime in Limerick and elsewhere. He told the House that 70 extra gardaí have been deployed to Limerick, but it was not given a breakdown of their locations. It is understood that 20 gardaí were assigned traffic duty. Through the report, Mr. Fitzgerald put a structure in place to ensure the 100 extra gardaí were deployed to the regeneration areas specifically. I would expect the Government to honour this commitment and I ask the Minister to deliver on it as a matter of urgency. Resources are vital. The 100 gardaí are required to allow the Garda to get on with its work. Gardaí in Limerick have done a tremendous job, but they cannot deal with the regeneration properly until the crime issue is addressed, as Mr. Fitzgerald stated in his report.

The question yet to be addressed is where the criminal elements living in the regeneration areas will be housed. Innocent, decent and honest people are entitled to have those areas regenerated, but not only the bricks and mortar must be changed. Criminal elements must be dealt with. In last night's debate, I hoped the Minister would take on board my straightforward proposals to tackle gangs. If someone is suspected of involvement in gangland activity, the Garda must be able to go to court and obtain an exclusion order to curtail the person from entering certain areas. The Garda must also be allowed to seek powers of surveillance. Judges must implement the mandatory minimum sentence of ten years for the illegal possession of firearms instead of applying more lenient sentences. A life sentence for murder must be a genuine deterrent and a minimum of 25 years must be served. If a person is caught in possession of an illegal firearm, it is critical that bail should not be granted. Many criminals commit further offences while on bail.

Everyone wants the regeneration projects to work because they are important to Limerick and the areas' inhabitants. We must get the fundamentals correct. Reverting to the Fitzgerald report, I ask the Minister of State to ask his colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Brian Lenihan, to ensure the deployment of the additional 100 gardaí — it is not necessarily a question of 30 gardaí in addition to the 70 gardaí already deployed — and the employment of a superintendent to head a specific unit in Limerick to deal with the regeneration areas, to which a total of 100 gardaí should be deployed.

I will make two points in response to Deputy Jan O'Sullivan's comments on social services and education. It is vital that these be addressed on a multi-agency basis.

Deputies from all sides have received representations on the issue of people who are being housed through the HSE in various parts of the city. At present, the problem is that the rules applying to those who are housed by a local authority are not being applied to those who are being housed through the rent subsidy scheme operated by the HSE. People who are housed by a local authority are obliged to undertake a pre-tenancy course and obtain Garda clearance. Consequently, when such people are housed, they are aware of the obligations to which they must live up. At present, the position in respect of the HSE is too loose. People who wish to obtain housing through rent subsidies automatically are obliged to get onto the housing waiting lists of one of the local authorities. However, the system then falls down because, thereafter, they effectively can be housed by a landlord. People in Limerick are worried that criminal elements are being housed throughout the city without any clearance.

I greatly welcome Brendan Kenny's intention to seek Garda clearance in respect of rehousing. People should not have anything to fear in this regard as it would be voluntary. People will be obliged to go to their local Garda station to obtain clearance before being rehoused. As a general rule, however, the Government must contemplate the introduction of consistency in the manner in which people are housed, either directly by a local authority or on an interim basis through the HSE's rent subsidy scheme. Addressing this issue will be critical.

Regrettably, the murders of Mark Moloney and James Cronin took place recently in Limerick. It is sad for their families that they have lost two sons and I express my sympathy to both families. A way to deal with gangland crime must be found. Moreover, an appalling incident arose last week in which a 14 year old appeared in court in Limerick for possession of a sawn-off shotgun. As Chief Superintendent Willie Keane of Limerick stated, some children who have not received proper parenting consider the gang to be their family. This constitutes a sad reflection on society.

Furthermore, in 2004, out of a sample of 400 children appearing before the Children's Court, 86% were not attending school. According to the Garda Síochána, some children must commit four offences before appearing before the Children's Court. In April 2007, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Brian Lenihan, who was then Minister of State with responsibility for children, promised that he would provide additional judges to the Children's Courts to speed up the process. However, although this is essential, it has not been done. The requisite resources must be devoted to this issue. Parental supervision orders that are used to ensure parental responsibility must be imposed in greater numbers by the Children's Courts. It is vital to hold parents accountable.

In the context of Limerick, a perception exists that its regeneration pertains to bricks and mortar, which would be a terrible mistake. Bricks and mortar should be the last element of such a regeneration. Its first measure should be to deal with the issue of crime in the areas concerned as outlined in the John Fitzgerald report. This is the reason 100 additional gardaí, together with a superintendent, are required to establish a dedicated unit to work in such areas. Furthermore, social structures must be put in place through the HSE and the Departments of Social and Family Affairs and Education and Science. Regeneration will work when these structures work in harmony, after the houses have been built and the areas' physical regeneration has been completed. However, these constitute the key elements that must be put in place.

Many children who become involved in crime have low levels of literacy and come from dysfunctional families. In Limerick alone at present, there is a two and a half year waiting list for a child to be seen by the child and adolescent mental health services in Limerick. As is the case nationally, the availability of the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, in Limerick is limited. Part of the problem in respect of child and adolescent mental health services is that the HSE has placed an embargo on the appointment of psychiatrists. This embargo must be lifted for the areas in question. The Government pays lip service to regeneration and states that it will deal with regeneration, social services and education. However, Government backbenchers can be seen blaming the HSE at will in this regard.

This reverts to Deputy Ciarán Lynch's original point that there is a great risk that State bodies will become nothing more than shields or screens for Ministers and will allow them to state they have no responsibility for a particular issue. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy John Gormley, is responsible for the success or otherwise of the regeneration areas in Limerick. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Brian Lenihan, is responsible for the Government's delivery or otherwise of 100 gardaí to Limerick. The Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Martin Cullen, is responsible for putting the services on the ground. The Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Mary Hanafin, is responsible for making available to the schools the National Educational Psychological Service.

The Government cannot run away from its obligations and responsibilities in this regard. The key to the success of the regeneration projects is that the Government should make available the resources. One hears rumours that the Government wishes the projects to be self-financing, which is a great buzzword. Amid fanfare in the last budget, it gave a welcome €10 million to establish the regeneration bodies. However, the value of land has dropped and the regeneration projects have not been costed fully. One cannot take all the glory for starting up regeneration projects unless one is willing to fund them and the Government cannot suddenly turn around and blame various bodies for taking bad decisions.

The regeneration project is, literally, a regeneration. The Government must engage and work with the local communities across the entire area affected, including Moyross, Southill, St. Mary's Park and Ballinacurra Weston. Terrific people live in all the aforementioned areas. They contain terrific community activists and organisations that need support and funding. The key to this project is to bring on board such groups. They are worried because the regeneration project was launched amid great fanfare a short time ago and they seek reassurance that it will be delivered on the ground. One hundred additional gardaí should be placed in situ in the regeneration areas, together with the appointment of a superintendent to deal with that specific issue. Second, gangland crime must be brought under control immediately. I have suggested measures regarding the amending legislation, namely, the criminal justice miscellaneous provisions Bill and my colleague, Deputy Durkan, also has raised the issue in recent days.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Deputy Brian Cowen, was being somewhat disingenuous this morning when he asked the reason Deputies repeatedly brought up issues in the knowledge they would receive the same reply. The only reason we are raising these issues is because they should have been addressed long ago. They are a major priority and, as the Opposition, we are here to hold the Government to account.

Specific legislation needs to be introduced on gangland crime. Provision should be made for gardaí to seek exclusion orders on criminals, a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years should be introduced for illegal possession of firearms, life sentences must mean 25 years at a minimum and people found in possession of illegal firearms should not get bail.

Mr. John Fitzgerald, who did an excellent job on producing the report on regeneration, recommended that a branch of the Criminal Assets Bureau should be established in Limerick. That should be a priority because we need local gardaí and Revenue officials who know the area if we are to pursue criminals. I am aware that CAB is doing work in that regard from its Dublin offices but Limerick warrants the establishment of a separate branch because drugs are at the root of much of the city's crime. Chief Superintendent Willie Keane was correct in saying the problems run deeper than that but in many cases the motivation is greed or money.

We have to ensure the area is safe and that younger children get a proper education so they do not leave school at the age of nine or ten. Learning difficulties need to be addressed, parents should be held responsible for their children's involvement in anti-social behaviour and the Government must put the necessary funding in place. I welcome the establishment of the area regeneration agencies for north and south Limerick as well as the €10 million in funding offered by the Government. However, much more funding will be required in the years to come. I call on the Minister of State to ensure that his colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, deploys the 100 gardaí who are needed as a matter of urgency to put the issue of crime to rest in Limerick so that regeneration can progress and people are allowed to live in safe and harmonious environments.

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