Cyprian Brady (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State. This welcome Bill is very comprehensive and tackles some particularly sensitive issues with which we, as public representatives, deal very regularly. Crime, particularly in the Dublin area, involves headline crime, including shootings and major robberies, which are happening more frequently, and also nuisance crime. The latter involves anti-social behaviour, graffiti and car vandalism. Car vandalism was a major issue ten or 15 years ago. Break-ins to cars and thefts of car radios happen regularly but are not reported and are considered to be a nuisance more than anything else. The Bill tackles a number of these issues very comprehensively.

The changes provided for in section 14, which deals with forensics, are welcome in terms of the samples that can be taken and the methods used to take such samples. In the past those methods were used to avoid convictions but this section closes that loophole.

I want to make a plea regarding the State Laboratory, which does excellent work, but I am aware from speaking to some of the staff that they are under serious pressure as a result of the amount of work they must deal with in addition to attending court hearings and so on. This might be the ideal time to increase the resources for the laboratory because any support it is given will pay dividends.

Like Senator Mansergh, I have a query about the section dealing with fireworks. Whenever a festival is held, be it St. Patrick's Day or whatever, we spend thousands of euro shooting tonnes of fireworks into the sky in celebration, yet under this Bill fireworks are illegal. That issue must be re-examined. A solution must be found, whether it involves imposing an age limit in respect of those who can buy them, as we do with the sale of alcohol and cigarettes to minors. An outright ban will not work because it is very difficult to enforce.

I welcome the sections dealing with organised crime. In the north side of Dublin recently we had experience of a number of shootings linked to organised crime and the drugs industry. I welcome also the Minister's suggestion that the use of technology has increased in dealing with crime because criminals are more advanced in technological terms now than was the case until recently. The Garda Síochána deserves support because it does a great deal of work and has some very talented and experienced people in the use of technology.

On the use of European arrest warrants and dealing with international crime, criminals of various nationalities are now living in Dublin. In one area they are confined mainly to Russian and Nigerian criminals who are taking advantage of the system here. Gardaí working in the centre of the city will say that is a major problem for them. These are well-organised gangs of international criminals. They have use of and access to weapons and other technologies that they use to great effect. It is an area that must be examined. While the Bill addresses the problem to some extent, it is one we will have to revisit at some stage in the future.

The link between drugs and guns is obvious to everybody. The information is that every drugs shipment that comes into the country now contains an amount of guns as part of the deal done in drug trafficking. We must examine that issue from an international perspective. These drugs originate in countries like Afghanistan or South America and by the time they come to Dublin and are broken down, part of the deal includes the supply of guns. A recent seizure by gardaí in Swords, north County Dublin, is an indication of the prevalence of the problem. This legislation will deal with that in an effective way.

Part 8 deals with drugs in prisons, which is a serious issue. In Mountjoy Prison in particular it has exercised both staff and concerned groups for a number of years. The treatment of drug addicts while in prison is an important issue yet there is a lack of resources in the area. Treatment and rehabilitation only takes place when a criminal leaves prison. They can be maintained while in prison in terms of their drug habit but drugs do get into prisons on a regular basis. In some cases family members or friends bring them in. There was a suggestion at one stage that staff were involved but it is a problem that must be tackled. The simple solution of putting a net over the exercise area in Mountjoy Prison prevented huge amounts of drugs getting into the prison. Treatment of drug users while in prison and aftercare once they have left are essential. Prisoners who are addicted to drugs will try to maintain their habit in prison and will try to get access to drugs by some means. Groups like Soilse are willing to go into prisons and help treat prisoners. That is something we should examine.

The Minister said he does not have any plans for electronic monitoring but it is an issue we must examine. It can be linked to any measures for restorative justice that might be taken. People who have many convictions and who go in and out of prison on a regular basis, sometimes for petty crime, could be considered for electronic monitoring. It has been tried and tested in other jurisdictions and it is something we should examine.

The problem of nuisance crime has exploded throughout Dublin city recently. The problem is not confined to young children or adults; it crosses all age barriers. I welcome the fact that this legislation deals with adults and children separately in terms of anti-social behaviour orders and warnings.

The treatment of children is a particularly sensitive area. Youth diversion programmes must be supported and invested in because they pay dividends but if they are to become part of the overall anti-social behaviour legislation they must be beefed up to a greater extent. People who run a number of programmes in our area get minimal funding but at the same time they provide a huge service. Young children are referred to them from all the agencies.

This is a comprehensive Bill and I wish it a speedy passage through the House. I have no doubt it will improve the problem of crime throughout the country.