Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this debate and the Minister's commitment to the town of Drogheda, personally and politically, in the context of the crime wave which struck our town in the not too distant past and resulted in the appalling and barbaric murder of Keane Mulready-Woods and, unfortunately, some other appalling crimes. I welcome the appointment by the Minister of Mr. Vivian Geiran to carry out an important and in-depth analysis of what needs to change in Drogheda and many other communities which suffer greatly as a result of criminals who control the streets, in many cases, at night. The sense of fear and intimidation they create reaches deeply into the hearts and minds of communities that are most deprived of amenities and support from civil society.

The Garda is doing a fantastic job in Drogheda. The addition of 30 gardaí, which were deployed to the town last year as a result of this appalling crime wave and drug-heavy crime, is working extremely well. That does not mean, however, that the gardaí control the streets at night. People are ringing me at 10 p.m. to say that the house next door, where residents may have been absent for a week or so, has been broken into and the residents' belongings strewn on the streets. A piano, which was passed down from generation to generation in one family, was dragged on to the street and burned. That is a symbol of an appalling situation in some of our communities today.

How do we tackle this situation? We do so by empowering those communities, not just by having community gardaí, whom I support fully, but by having the people in those communities controlling their own destiny. Those who obey the law, conform to societal norms and live decent and civil lives must be charge of what happens in those communities. When darkness falls and evil comes out, it must be driven back by communities living in estates that are properly lit, have proper footpaths and amenities and receive the support of society that they do not currently have. That is why I hope the work of Vivian Geiran will lead to significant change and successes. That approach must apply across the country. We cannot allow these thugs to control our lives, particularly the lives of people who are less well-off than many of us. At 10 p.m. the other night, I received a call from a woman telling me the house next door was being broken into and the windows were being smashed. The poor unfortunate person inside that house was unable to deal with the situation and was being intimidated and driven to despair, as were his neighbours, by what was going on. I hate getting such calls.

It is important to mention the important role of primary school teachers for young people growing up in society. National schools are aware of problems with children at the earliest possible stage. It is there that the significant interventions and support that such children need and want should be provided. I welcome all the work taking place in communities, for example, breakfast clubs, the deployment of community gardaí and Garda outreach. However, what we need now is a controlled and determined focus to win this battle. In whatever structures we have to ensure community safety and prevent crime, we do not want some sleepy chairperson or other. I am not referring to anyone in particular when I say that. We need dynamic control and absolute accountability from the local authority and support for it to do its business out of hours and at night. I could go on but a colleague is due to contribute shortly.

Drogheda needs a north inner city type task force. What Mr. Geiran is doing is a start but we must reach out to those who commit these crimes. When we identify them and the needs of their families when they are very young, we should ensure there is proper outreach to them. I welcome much of what the Labour Party spokesperson said in that regard. We must interact with these people to ensure that instead of intimidating their neighbours and burning pianos and whatever other cultural items they can find, we encourage them to participate in society. We should find a forum in which they can participate and encourage them to do so. We should appoint not just community gardaí and social workers to work in these communities but also youth workers who can work with them and reach out and support them.

In Drogheda, the people who deal with crime and the drug problem face major problems. We must reach out to organisations such as the Red Door Project to ensure they have the funding and outreach workers they need to work with those who are in despair and have been caught up in drugs and other problems. I welcome the Minister's commitment to publish the report before Christmas. I hope it will be the start of something and we will get action on it.

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