Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I commend my colleagues, Deputies Ward and Ó Murchú, on bringing forward the Bill and thank the Minister of State and Government for not opposing it. It is important that all work together in the House to try to relieve the communities that are under severe strain the length and breadth of the country. Everywhere we go we come across families and communities that are under pressure because of the ravages of drug addiction and criminality that circles around all of that. It is particularly intense in many urban areas and more densely populated regions.

The truth is that most communities feel aggrieved when they see the spoils of what I often describe as the "Love/Hate" type lifestyle that some of these people live and how it is somehow or other romanticised, and young people can fall into that. Communities feel aggrieved when they see that going on around them, with the proceeds of crime and wealth being splashed around and young people being taken in by all of that. They would love to see CAB take action to capture more proceeds of crime and that money going back into their communities to ensure adequate responses and assistance are put in place for the many young people who need addiction services, counselling, assistance with employment and all so on.

Many young people who end up in prison, perhaps initially because of minor offences, get deeper and deeper into the spiral of criminality that exists around all of that. There is a big job of work to be done in our Prison Service to work with people when they come out of prison to ensure that they can make a break away from the criminal connections they made before going into prison, which are often waiting to bring them further down when they get out.

I acknowledge the work that has been done. The pilot schemes mentioned by the Minister of State are worthy and we need to see more of that happening. Many communities hear a pilot scheme is going on for two years. What about all of the other areas where everything is happening but they are not getting resources? People feel they have had enough pilot schemes, reports and analysis of the problem. They need to have action.

Many of the pieces of analysis on shelves, such as the one from Dr. Johnny Connolly on the south inner city of Dublin, present a scenario whereby there are almost two different lives and communities. There is a tiny criminal community comprising less than 1% of people and then there is the majority of decent people living in those communities who feel under pressure from the 1% that continue to create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation for many people.

For many young people who unfortunately get hooked on drugs and then get involved in petty and worse crime, they stand almost aghast as to what they can do. They feel helpless. The Government needs to put in place resources to help them. It needs to work with communities because there are genuine, decent and honest people who want to solve these problems. All they need is the assistance to do that. This Bill is about ensuring that the proceeds of the crime that happens in these communities, and, unfortunately, all over the country, go to provide those services everywhere and ensure that people are adequately looked after.

The point was well made by Deputies Ward and Ó Murchú that this money needs to be additional money. It cannot be about creating a pot that community groups can apply to for funding, and if they do not get it, they get nothing. We do not want that scenario to emerge from this Bill. We need this money to be in addition to what is there. However, what is there is not adequate, there needs to be so much more. In the areas of drug addiction and youth services, funding would need to be doubled to have any impact in many urban communities which are particularly under stress.

The import of what we are trying to do collectively – I hope we can all work together - would be to change the future for so many people. All of us get up in the morning and have the opportunity to make a new day and future, leave the past, whether it is negative or positive, behind us and look to a new future. Most of us can do that because we are fortunate enough to live in communities where we have support and are affluent enough to have a few bob and are able to get on with life.

For many communities people are not in that position. They are not able to create a new future. They do not have the supports, money or opportunity and, therefore, they do not have the ambition. That is what we need to change. That can only change if the Government provides the services to do that. This Bill is about ensuring that the money these thugs have is taken from them and put back into communities. It has to be on top of what the Government already needs to provide to make a clear and lasting difference.

I welcome the support for the Bill from the Government. I hope as it goes to Committee Stage all of the various issues can be teased out and that we can work together to reach a good solution for everybody.

See this speech in context