Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit agus roimh an rún seo ó Phairtí Fhine Gael. Is ábhar an-tábhachtach é an t-ábhar seo agus is ceart dúinn é a phlé sa Seanad. Tá súil agam go rachaidh an tionscnamh píolótach seo amach ó Bhaile Atha Cliath ar fud na tíre.

Fianna Fáil is happy to welcome this motion of the Fine Gael Party. We support the concept of community courts. Where this approach to what one might call petty lawlessness which has an impact on the quality of life in a community has been deployed, it seems to have had good results, and that is the most important aspect. Interestingly, the successful British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, realised that voters saw anti-social behaviour as a really serious problem and it had to be dealt with effectively. Anything one can do to deal with such issues, petty theft, drugs, public order and vandalism in a community, will have an enormous impact on a the general quality of life in a neighbourhood and on the victims of those crimes. If the community courts can help that, then they are to be welcomed because the impact on people of these low-level crimes is enormous and disproportionate to the level of the crime. If someone is making noise, is drunk and disorderly, or is smoking, as opposed to dealing, soft drugs in a neighbourhood, those are really serious annoyances for people even though they may not seem so on an individual basis. If a crime occurred once, it would not have that much of an impact, but it does if it is happening all the time.

The concept of community courts is a welcome one and I am certainly happy that there is a pilot project in place. However, as I stated as Gaeilge, I would like to see the project roll-out across the country. We will see how the pilot works. Presumably, as the models are there, it will be successful and will work, and it will be rolled out throughout the country.

Another point I would make, from my experience of courts, is that courts are difficult places for non-professionals. They are, I suppose, formal places. They are intimidating. Whether one is the victim or the defendant, a different system could help. A less formal way, while still recognising that wrongs have been done and need to be righted, could help to address the overall crime rate in the country and the overall enjoyment of life in communities.