Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to address this Bill and to speak on wider issues on the topic of crime. The Bill will give a legal basis to a standalone offence of stalking and harassment and allow for court orders to be introduced to try to prevent these crimes happening. It will also allow for the increase in the term of imprisonment for conspiracy to murder from ten years to life. All of these measures are to be welcomed. My party, Sinn Féin, will be supporting the Bill. We will work with the Minister to progress it and to make sure it moves to the next Stages.

While on the topic of crime, I believe we have to get a handle on what is happening across Dublin and beyond. As we move into the darker evenings and with the usual troublesome period of Hallowe'en approaching, we have to protect our communities. The recent dreadful carry-on in Cherry Orchard, with the Garda car being rammed, is not unique. This type of incident has happened in my area and in other areas across Dublin, but it is just that it was not recorded. Gardaí in my area are doing the very best they can and they sometimes find it impossible because they do not have enough numbers or resources. All Deputies in the city have seen the rise of antisocial behaviour across the city.

Our communities deserve to feel safe. On a personal level, I am sick and tired of the terror that is being put on our communities because of these people with their antisocial behaviour. I am being contacted regularly by families who feel intimidated and who are looking to move from the area where they have lived all their lives. We have to say that enough is enough. We appreciate the work of gardaí, youth workers, families and community representatives who are all trying to do their best to stamp out antisocial behaviour, but the Government has to support this work. There is a problem with crime, particularly in Dublin. It is time the Government acknowledged this and that we tried to get a handle on it for our communities.

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