Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will try to be as quick and efficient as possible. I have listened to this debate from my office and the Chamber and, from what I have heard, one would imagine we live in a completely lawless state, which is not at all the truth. The fact is that, even in those communities that have made the headlines in the past week, the vast majority of people go about their daily business normally and peacefully, abiding by the law and working in co-operation with the Garda. They support the Garda and strong and safe communities. I am with Senator Ruane in believing there is a danger in homing in on everything that is wrong when discussing topics like this, leaving us with the impression of a failed state when nothing could be further from the truth. I know the Minister of State has been out in Cherry Orchard and that funding for the likes of the youth diversion fund has been increased. There is incredibly positive work being done by passionate people working on the ground with communities and funded by Government. That is not new or a response to any one incident hitting the news headlines. It is something that has been going on for years. There are new innovations in the community safety innovation fund and that is to be applauded. There is fantastic work going on.

For years, gardaí been working with policing forums and drugs task forces. There are certainly gardaí involved in the drugs task force I am on. Their contributions, their listening and the advice we get on the side are extraordinary. There is work going on that nobody ever talks about. We cannot do so due to the secrecy of certain matters. Incredible interventions go on at the local level with regard to drug intimidation that just never get talked about because of the confidentiality and sensitivity of the issues involved. There are great things going on all of the time.

I, too, shudder at the likes of mandatory sentencing and people in the House demanding the State get tougher and tougher. Some of the people who call for such measures have never stood inside a prison. They have never experienced what it is like. People criticise suspended sentences and feel they are nothing, but they are an awful lot to be hanging over people's heads. They should try living in a situation in which they are deprived of their liberty and they have no say in how they perform their day. Being in prison is not something light and the threat of it is not something to be sniffed at.

It is important we value what is already there. We need to ensure our Judiciary is supported in exercising discretion and responding to pleas of mitigation. Are there places where there should be minimum sentences, for example, in cases of rape and other crimes? We need to discuss that. However, I am sympathetic towards Senator Ruane's contention that, when we are looking at crime in communities, we need to be sure we have a cohesive approach. We have seen the evidence of how the community safety forum works in Drogheda, where it works incredibly well. I look forward to announcements and supports with regard to the likes of Cherry Orchard, where there is one shop, which is a converted house, and two prisons. That was the big thing to come out of our recent meetings.

We need infrastructure and interdepartmental work. We see interdepartmental and interagency co-operation in many other areas. Nompilo is working with me in my office at the moment. She is from South Africa. She has spoken to me about how they have one Government plan or programme and a cohesive interagency approach to supporting communities in deprivation. We could learn a lot from that. We should make sure we are not working in silos because the way to make a stronger and safer community is for everyone to work together.