Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I commend Deputy McDonald, although she is not in the Chamber, on suggesting we should have a debate on the issue of gangland killings and violence in Dublin. It is appropriate to do so notwithstanding that we are in a period of political paralysis. Unfortunately, the problems of gangland crime in Dublin continue in the absence of any government. Although the issue has most recently affected the north inner city, it affects all the city of Dublin and all urban areas.

This afternoon I propose to speak on the issue of gangland crime and violence. There are many other aspects to crime and criminal justice that could be discussed in this debate, but I do not propose to deal with them. However, on another occasion we should have a debate on a variety of issues, whether white-collar crime or anti-social behaviour. The purpose of this debate is to try to talk about the issue of gangland crime that has affected Dublin in recent times.

The issue of gangland dealing in drugs and its impact upon our local communities is a complicated problem and requires a variety of solutions. Primarily this House is a house of legislature. We prepare and introduce laws along with the Seanad and the President. Obviously, there is an important role for this House to play as a house of legislature to deal with the problems caused by gangland violence.

Of course, the House is more than simply a place of legislation. It is also a place which should provide a lead in the country in identifying solutions to the problems we face. There is no doubt that one of the central issues affecting disadvantaged areas in particular is the issue of gangland dealing in drugs.

I wish to deal with three issues. I imagine there are many other issues and I do not think that I have all the answers or indeed many of the answers, but three particular issues could be of benefit to us in trying to see how we can approach this problem. The first relates to the question of drugs. What is it about drugs that seems to create such violence and wreak such devastation in our communities? I heard Deputy Farrell refer earlier to a project in Portugal. I am open to other projects under way internationally and I am keen to see how other countries deal with the issue of drugs. It is important that this House of legislature and we, as politicians, send out a consistent and reliable message to young people and those in their early teens who are about to embark on their adult lives. The message should be that drugs are a serious danger and that drugs present them with a serious danger to their livelihood and welfare and can potentially lead to death. Unfortunately, I do not think that is emphasised enough in our debates. We have become ambiguous and inconsistent in our public representation and analysis of drugs. I know it is a complicated matter but ultimately it has to be repeated that drugs are bad for young people. We need to get that message out consistently.

I represent a constituency, Dublin Bay South, previously known as Dublin South-East. In the early 1980s it had a significant drug problem fuelled by drug dealers who were not as violent as drug dealers are today, but it was a significant problem in the communities and it affected predominantly disadvantaged areas. The reason it affected disadvantaged areas was the lack of resourcing at the time and a lack of political will. However, the problem in the south inner city was significantly resolved at the time in the 1980s.

It was resolved by local communities coming together and recognising that they were not prepared to allow their children and young adults to be sacrificed on the altar of the greed of drug pushers. They got together with An Garda Síochána and local politicians and as a result there was a significant decrease in the level of drug use and the incidence of drug addiction in the south inner city. We cannot allow that type of addiction to return to this city. We need to ensure that greater resources are invested in disadvantaged areas, because it is a striking fact that drug addiction affects areas of disadvantage more than other areas. We need to invest resources there. One of the avenues away from drugs is sport. It can ensure that children stay away from drugs, particularly in their early teens. We need to ensure that community-based sporting projects and ventures are supported by local authorities and this Oireachtas. We need to resource, encourage and promote all of those community activities which provide an alternative for young people so that they are not forced down the avenue of taking drugs.

Everyone has recognised the important role the gardaí play alongside the community in trying to deal with the drug issue. There has been a reduction in the number of gardaí on the beat in the north and south inner city. We all agree the numbers need to be increased. Even more important is that we emphasise the important role played by the community gardaí. I spoke to Councillor Nial Ring from the inner city today, and he said they are an invaluable resource in the north inner city. I know they are in the south inner city. We need gardaí who know their community through the small streets initiative or otherwise. If there is a bond between the community and the community gardaí, the individuals within that community regard themselves as being protected by the gardaí.

Most normal people do not aspire to be members of drug gangs, with the prospect of serving a long term in prison or coming to a violent end. People are motivated to get involved in drug gangs not simply by greed but by the prospect of making huge sums of money. One of the best initiatives of this House in the past 25 years was the proceeds of crime legislation, which ensured that the CAB was able to seize assets from individuals who were believed by a superintendent or member of CAB to have derived those proceeds from criminal activity. We need to review that legislation and enlarge its scope. In 2011 a review of the proceeds of crime legislation commenced in the Department of Justice and Equality. Unfortunately, the group has not yet reported. We need to give the State more power to seize the assets of criminals so that they will recognise there is no profitable purpose in their involvement in drug-related crime. At present the State can freeze the assets of criminals but cannot seize them for seven years. We need to change that legislation so that the State can seize assets that have been frozen after one year. The legislation also needs to be extended so that receivers are given the power to deprive criminals of the use of their properties immediately. That is not provided for in the legislation and it can be. The law should also be amended so that criminals cannot move their assets to avoid their seizure under the proceeds of crime legislation. That could be achieved by introducing a new mechanism whereby short-term seizure of assets can occur pending a court ruling.

This has become an international as well as a national problem. Anyone with the slightest awareness of the gangland drug trade in Ireland will know that. As a result we need greater harmonisation of EU laws so that all countries will accept seizure orders based on non-criminal convictions, as is the case in Ireland. At present that does not apply. We need to promote that within the EU, as it would enable CAB to seize the assets of Irish criminals across Europe. Fighting organised criminal gangs is difficult and prosecutions are extremely difficult to secure. People are intimidated. These gangland criminals previously murdered a journalist. If they did that, they are prepared to murder witnesses. We need to continue the Special Criminal Court. Even with that court, it remains difficult to secure convictions. That is why I believe the most appropriate new approach is to improve and increase the scope of the proceeds of crime legislation. Fianna Fáil and I intend to advance that legislation during the course of this Dáil and I hope other parties will support that on a consensus basis.

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