James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)

In "The Comedy of Errors", William Shakespeare wrote that "time comes stealing on by night and day" and that "time is a very bankrupt". He could not have envisaged that in the 21st century, "time" in the guise of metal thieves would come, as he said, in the night and steal two irreplaceable original lead downpipes from his daughter's home in Stratford-upon-Avon. This is a small example of a worldwide epidemic that is driven by recession and moral bankruptcy. It is an indictment of the times in which we are living. The scope of this criminal scourge encompasses the theft of scrap and precious metals for easy gain. It is fuelled through an industry that asks no questions. Dealers who offer cash for metal must be made accountable. We must force them to end cash-based transactions. The metal industry must be required to clean up its act. Currently, it is adding to the rising tide of opportunistic crime that has its base in the acquisition of easy money.

There are more than 1,000 metal thefts in Britain each week. There were more than over 60,000 offences in the first 10 months of last year. This problem is so bad - it is costing the UK economy approximately £770 million per annum - that a pilot campaign has been launched in north-east England to tackle it. This initiative will be run by a crime-fighting charity, Crimestoppers, which will encourage people to pass on information about metal thefts anonymously. This is a reaction to a situation which sees churches forced to replace lead with plastic and install roof alarms booming out "the voice of God" as a deterrent to the stripping of lead. Historic buildings, memorials, statues and manhole covers are being targeted. Transport and communications are being affected.

I listened to Deputy Mattie McGrath on "Today with Pat Kenny" yesterday. He spoke about the theft of metal cables in Limerick. Such crimes can put people at great risk. People's lives are threatened when thieves remove the copper cabling on which our transport systems depend. There is a growing fear that metal theft could threaten Olympic travel. Communications are being compromised by the theft of overhead cables. Metal theft is not a victimless crime. It can lead to fatalities and injuries among victims and perpetrators. Some 7,000 incidents in Britain last year led to four deaths and 31 injuries. Theft from railways is leading to an increase in cancelled train services, which increases frustration among commuters. These thefts are happening on the public transport system, as pointed out yesterday by the Deputy. While the scale of the problem is not so great in Ireland, it is imperative to stop a growing trend before it escalates further.

I welcome this Bill as a pre-emptive strike against the rise in scrap and precious metal theft in this country. The current gold rush, which has seen the price of gold soar, is leading to burglaries and the terrorising of elderly people in their homes up and down the country. I raised this matter in September 2010 at the joint policing committee in Longford and I urged the then Government to introduce legislation to ensure greater transparency in the gold and scrap metal markets. With gold being regarded as a safe and profitable investment, burglars are cashing in on the demand. Stolen jewellery is being sold on for melting down with no questions asked.

I am sure the Minister will take note of this Bill and will bring forward a Government Bill to provide that all gold and precious metals will be subject to compulsory registration and traceability. The photographing of jewellery and other pieces offered for sale must be part of any legislation. The Garda Síochána must be fully supported in its fight against such crime by every means possible. There is an onus on members of the public to support the Garda Síochána in this work.

Currently, all that glitters is gold for criminal gangs. Thieves are turning steel, brass, copper and aluminium into a gold-plated investment. The victims are the elderly and the vulnerable who stand between the criminals and the untraceable conversion of metals into money. Every single metal theft is an attack on the wider community or on individuals.

The midlands has been particularly hard-hit by this crime wave. Copper pipes, cylinders and radiators have been stolen from homes and public places, with derelict sites also being targeted. Copper cylinders have been stolen from many unfinished housing estates in County Longford and in County Westmeath and, as a result of these robberies, many of these sites have become even more derelict. My neighbour in Longford had his entire cattle pen stolen one night. This sort of crime is highly opportunistic and is carried out by sneak thieves and day-tripper gangs who target Longford and Westmeath in a quick in and quick out incursion, grabbing what they can. Gates have been taken away from farmyards and cattle allowed to roam onto the public road. We do not wish an escalation of the problem in this country.

It seems incredible that two one-tonne bronze pieces of public art were stolen from Moate in County Westmeath, in my own constituency, and another in Kildare last April, with a total value of €100,000. They were obviously stolen for their scrap and metal value, leaving a feeling of shock and violation in these communities. We are all aware of the shameful theft of the 10 foot high bronze memorial in County Laois, which was erected to the memory of young people who had died in tragic circumstances. That such a public expression of grief on the deaths of young men, women and children should be stolen and sold without accountability is a reflection of the lack of safeguards for memorials, public artwork, historic buildings, personal jewellery and artefacts. This crime is a scourge that recognises no boundaries of religious, artistic, personal or civic rights. It is a crime wave that destroys for quick profit, a joint effort between criminals and shady dealers which must be stamped out.

I do not want to see our valuable heritage wilfully destroyed by vandals who are assisted by a loophole in the law. While we must be cautious of excessive bureaucracy and red tape, which will penalise legitimate dealers, steps must be taken to halt the illegal gold and scrap metal rush. I compliment Deputy Mattie McGrath on bringing this important Bill before the House. However, it does not go far enough as it fails to fully outlaw cash for metal transactions, a fact acknowledged by Deputy McGrath when he spoke on "Today with Pat Kenny" yesterday morning and which is the cause of the current crime wave that must be eradicated. We need to act quickly to regulate the scrap metal industry. Legislation cannot come quickly enough to prevent our heritage from being destroyed. The true scale of the epidemic is unknown as many of the thefts go unreported. I ask the Minister to consider setting up a dedicated task force to deal with this growing problem. I know of several people who did not report the matter but I would encourage the reporting of all such incidents which would provide more accurate statistics on the extent of the problem.

Cash transactions at scrap yards must be declared illegal in order to stop thieves profiting from the sale of stolen metal. The cash for gold practice makes it almost impossible for the Garda Síochána to trace the thieves. There is an urgent need to introduce trading restrictions and a ban on cash purchases. I have made the point on numerous previous occasions that regulation of scrap yards is required. Any delay will result in further loss of property and serious damage to our infrastructure and our rich heritage. If action is not taken quickly, the day will come when lives will be lost. This is an ongoing problem that must not be ignored or brushed under the carpet any longer. In regulating scrap yards, questions must be asked and a register of metal should be compulsory. I am confident this able and capable Minister will take robust action against these criminals by introducing legislation to deal with scrap for cash. It is up to each of us, as citizens of this State, to stand up against all types of theft, particularly metal theft and other unlawful activities. I will speak on this matter again when the Government brings forward its own legislation.

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