Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)

The issue of crime is something that is feared as much as anything else across many parts of rural Ireland in particular and in my constituency. We saw today that three people have pleaded guilty to manslaughter for the desperate attack on Tom Niland, an elderly man living alone in a rural area who was set upon, badly beaten and subsequently passed away. The fear that kind of situation instils in people in rural communities is terrifying. It is important to recognise that for elderly people in rural, isolated areas and other areas, the fear of being set upon like that is a real terror in their lives, particularly if they live alone. It is important we have legislation which deals adequately with people who would carry out such attacks. I commend the gardaí on the investigation into that case and the outcome of it but it still does not undo the loss to the family, friends and community. It is the same thing in many areas where people are in fear of crime, yet we live in a relatively safe society and that is important to recognise. It is a tiny minority of people who engage in these actions and activities.

The Criminal Assets Bureau was a game-changer when it came to dismantling criminal gangs, particularly in the drugs industry. The work around that by the State and its agencies has to be commended - not just the Garda, but others as well.

It is important to recognise that even in communities, like many of those in inner-city Dublin, where there are serious problems with high levels of criminality and drug addiction, it is a small minority of people who are involved. In these communities, 80%, 90% or 95% of people are decent, hardworking, ordinary individuals who want to get on with their lives and to build and live in a decent society. However, the small minority of individuals to whom I refer continue to cause huge difficulties in that regard. A report into that by Dr. Johnny Connolly a couple of years ago provided a very good assessment of the situation. One of the things to come out of the report was there had to be something done to ensure younger people are not attracted to the lifestyle being put on show by these criminals, who are not bashful about how they live their lives. Being able to attack their assets and take them down is very important.

The Criminal Assets Bureau has done great work and could do much more. One of those things it could do in that regard would be to go after the people at a slightly lower level in the food chain, ensuring that there is a mechanism to attack them and their lifestyle in order that it does not become something that is attractive to younger people. Unfortunately, in many communities, very young children are being used by some of these criminal gangs, particularly for running drugs and that sort of thing. That is not just in inner-city areas; it is in every town in the country. The habit of criminality developed at a young age takes a long time to break. If those to whom I refer end up in prison as youngsters, they go on to a life of crime that has no future for them or their communities.

The motivation we must all have is to ensure we have adequate legislation in place to deal with this matter. I support the Bill and I understand why what is proposed is being done. More can be done in this area. We need to do more to build the resistance and capacity of these communities to deal with what is happening. To do that, we need to have more resources in place. There needs to be a greater emphasis on putting youth facilities and addiction facilities in place. It is very important to recognise that this legislation does not stand alone and that there is a need for much more support around it.

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