Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I had not planned on speaking either but having sat in and chaired the early part of this debate, I felt it incumbent on me to say a few words and particularly to compliment the Labour Party in bringing forward this motion today and to pay tribute to Senator Bacik and all the members of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality for this fine report. What we all want to see now is action on the very many fine recommendations that have been made in that report.

We all want to see a justice system that protects our citizens and that when citizens break the law and step out of line, we have a system that is appropriate and imposes sanctions that are appropriate and that we have a system that will rehabilitate offenders in an appropriate setting.

Senator O'Donovan highlighted a ludicrous situation which I see happening in my own town as well. People who are committed to prison for fairly menial offences are back in town within a few hours having cost the State an enormous amount of money. In this day and age that is ludicrous and is something we could tackle very easily and very quickly.

I am convinced that a lot of the crime in this country is committed as a result of the abuse of alcohol and drugs. We have to think very much of the abusers of alcohol and drugs. We also have to keep in mind the victims of the crimes committed. The appropriate system for rehabilitating drug abusers is certainly not prison. I agree totally with Senator van Turnhout in that we need to enhance our rehabilitation facilities for both alcohol and drug abusers. In my own town of Ballinasloe, we had a fine alcohol rehabilitation centre some years ago. In its wisdom, the HSE decided to close it. In my view, there are insufficient rehabilitation beds within the system that the HSE runs now. I would like to see, as part of this overall review of the prison facilities, an examination of the whole area of rehabilitation.

I want to compliment the fine work done by many people who work within the youth diversion projects. The youth diversion project in my own town works very effectively. Many young people who have come through that system and who have been helped through the youth diversion project continue to lead meaningful lives, get employment and, in most cases, do not re-offend.

It is true to say - I think Senator Hayden referred to it - that we need to reduce the factors and the economic deprivation which many young people suffer and are causes of people offending. The area of drug addiction would come into that category.

I support the concept of restorative justice. Senator Conway is a very strong advocate of that approach. Judge O'Reilly, who presided in my own area of the country at one time, is a very progressive justice. I hope the pilot project that is being undertaken in Tipperary will be extended to other parts of the country as a matter of urgency.

I understand the Irish Prison Service has set up a group to look at the possibility of having an open prison for women. That is something that should happen. I hope the Minister will strongly support that and that we will see the possibility of an open prison for women in the fairly near future.

I welcome the opportunity today to have this debate. I hope the Minister of State, when he addresses us, will have some very interesting and positive things to say and that the good work of the Oireachtas joint committee and the many actions and many progressive ideas it has come forward with, will be actioned and we will see them implemented in the not too distant future.