Ray Butler (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would like to speak about juvenile crime and young offenders under 15 years of age. We have had a spate of crime in our area. We have had gangs going around. We saw in the newspapers recently that 3,500 juvenile cases have not been investigated.In my area, there have been crimes such as shops being robbed, intimidation, fighting on the street and elderly people being terrified. Last Friday, when I was in the AIB bank in Trim, a lady told me that her son had been beaten up at a juvenile disco. The Garda told his family to keep him at home and not to send him to the disco anymore. The family were threatened with their house being burned down for reporting the incident to the Garda.

Antisocial behaviour orders, ASBOs, are not working. I know of young offenders who have 11 or 12 ASBOs. Basically, the hands of gardaí are tied and they cannot do anything. The only way forward is for parents to be made more accountable. Young people must not be allowed to roam the streets at night or to intimidate or attack people. People have been attacked at cash machines in the Trim and south Meath area. On St. Patrick's Day, a young man had his nose broken at a cash machine because of juvenile offenders. The Minster for Justice and Equality, Deputy Flanagan, should come to the House today to explore new legislation for young offenders.