Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)

Gangland criminals make their living as parasites on vulnerable people who often through disadvantage, lack of educational opportunities or family breakdown are easy prey for the drug baron vultures. These are the unfortunates who find themselves behind bars, for the most part, while the barons are free to continue causing murder and mayhem on our streets.

In reply to a recent parliamentary question, the Minister informed me that in 2007 there were 1,840 prisoners treated for drug-related problems. I do not have a figure for the total number of prisoners for 2007 but extrapolating from the figures for 2008 up to mid November, it would appear that approximately 50% of prisoners have drug-related problems.

This significant number of drug-based offenders indicates the correlation between drugs and crime. Prison should be a place of rehabilitation but the number of places for drug treatment in prisons is totally inadequate. The drug detox programme in Mountjoy, for example, runs for six weeks with a capacity for nine prisoners at a time. If the drugs issue is to be taken seriously and properly addressed, this level of support within prisons is totally inadequate.

The real threat to society is not from the mostly unfortunate drug users but from the criminals who have targeted them and used them to ply their trade. It is stomach-churning to read or hear of the pain and suffering inflicted on some of these unfortunate people when a gang leader decides to take indiscriminate revenge when people fall out with him. It simply beggars belief that these ganglords can direct operations from within prisons.

I refuse to believe it is not within the capacity of this Government to engage the appropriate expertise to put in place a system to prevent mobile phones getting into prisons in the first place. If they should escape the first line of detection, why is the technology not in place to stop a signal from the illicit phones and so prevent contact between the prisoner inside and those on the outside, who are being directed to do his murderous bidding?

It is the State's responsibility to ensure that those who are in prison cannot continue to direct their operations from behind bars. To do this we require more funding for the Irish Prison Service but also greater efficiency in the running of the prison service and real supports for prisoners who want to pursue drug treatment or education programmes.

The question must be posed about the reasons for the drug culture and the level of crime in our society. There are many contributory factors but while all of the issues that have been addressed in this debate are important, I want to draw attention to one in particular that I believe is neglected. That is the disregard for the safety and welfare of children who come from dysfunctional homes and who know nothing other than a wayward existence.

I have said on numerous occasions that these young children, mostly in disadvantaged areas, with a parent or parents who are themselves involved in drug dealing and other crimes, are destined to become the drug dealers or victims of tomorrow. This debate is centred on gangland crime, legal instruments to combat it, the provision of more gardaí, the management of prisoners, the control of firearms and so on but the failure to address the needs of young children who are living on the edge of society leaves a major gap in this debate. Without taking a long view as well as dealing with the immediacy of this problem, it will always be a case of fire fighting.

Last weekend I watched an unfortunate shopkeeper protecting his property from an onslaught from a mini-gang of six or seven young lads whose ages I guess were between seven and 11. These children were in free-fall, running wildly around a shop trying to steal whatever they could, causing havoc and then walking away, sneering. I really do not blame the children because their parents are not being held responsible for their welfare. Although this may not be the immediate responsibility of the Minister and his Department now, it will be in just a few years when these novices get their stripes and join the bigger club.

The message seems to be that crime does pay and that the thrill or the gain is worth the risk. The rash of serious crime that is now blighting the lives of many innocent people must stop and the Minister must find the way to do it sooner rather than later.

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