Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

I wish to acknowledge Deputy Mitchell and Deputy Martin Kenny, who introduced this Bill with me on First Stage. I also thank the Minister of State for taking the time to stay for the late shift on a Thursday. I appreciate him taking the time to be here. The thrust of this Bill is to make it more difficult for older, more experienced criminals to groom children into criminality. The cycle of poverty and disadvantage leading to children being vulnerable to grooming by drug gangs is something that we, as legislators, need to break. Our Bill will help address that, and will ensure that the Garda and the Courts Service can charge a criminal with what is effectively the exploitation of our children. It basically targets the grooming of our children into criminality. The legislation is focused on adults involved in criminality and drug dealing who target and coerce children to move and supply drugs for them. For too long, criminals have groomed children in both urban and rural communities right across Ireland. The children in our communities deserve to be protected from this criminality and kept safe in order that they can have a better future. We cannot allow drug gangs to continue to be such a scourge on our communities. This Bill will make it a stand-alone offence for adults to use children in communities for the sale and distribution of drugs. It is simple legislation but if passed, it will have a major impact on our communities. If passed, this legislation will ensure these criminals are held to account and cannot use our children to make massive profits for themselves. Anyone found guilty of this offence will face a prison sentence that fits the crime.

Older criminals using children for criminal activities is not a new phenomenon in disadvantaged areas. However, there has been a visible increase of it in communities over the last couple of years. Young people are being targeted by older, experienced drug dealers to sell and deliver drugs. Children are being groomed by unscrupulous drug dealers. The children are attracted by the flashy cars, the new runners, the few bob in their pocket and the status of being considered a so-called somebody. Let me tell the Minister of State something and I am sure he will agree with me. These criminals are nobodies. They suck the lifeblood out of our communities and they offer nothing but devastation in return. We need to be proactive rather than reactive and target these young people with the appropriate diversionary services before they end up in the hands of drug dealers.

There is also a scourge of drug debt intimidation that is foisted on our community. If a young person is caught with a quantity of drugs, then the criminals demand payment. They often exaggerate the price and put mothers and fathers in fear, not only for their own lives but also those of their children, when demanding payments. This Bill would deter criminals from using children to sell or supply drugs, therefore leading to leading to fewer instances of drugs debt intimidation. I look forward to the debate and welcome all contributions and opinions on how we can progress this legislation.

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