Eileen Flynn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State is very welcome to the House. Senator Gallagher spoke about the need for more prisons and more community service during the Order of Business. I have done work over the past four and a half years in prisons, with members of the Traveller community and others. I say, as would people who are in prison, that we do not need more prisons. What we need is more community development and investment in our communities. I have heard a lot about law and order over the past two weeks in these Houses. For me, it is about investing in people. In 2008 and 2009, when the recession hit the country, the most vulnerable communities were hit the worst. These were places such as Ballyfermot, Clondalkin, Crumlin and rural parts of Ireland. CCTV footage does not stop crime. Gardaí do not stop crime. As Senator Ruane said, it is about poverty. We cannot police our way out of poverty.

The Minister of State is here in respect of justice, but we need a bigger conversation around health and access to health services for people from marginalised communities, in addition to services around addiction and rehabilitation. Drug addicts were mentioned in the debate. A person addicted to drugs can absolutely destroy a family and the community around him or her. I see that with members of my own family, unfortunately. Poverty is a vicious circle. The halting sites in this country all have big, massive walls and very run-down ramps and gates. It is like people are living in prison. If people are surrounded by walls, are part of a run-down community that is not looked after by local authorities - even in wider Ballyfermot and putting halting sites aside - are treated like prisoners and are let live like prisoners, they may begin to behave like they are in a prison.

I do not want to repeat what anybody in the House has already said, but it is not all the responsibility of the justice Department. Again, we need better wraparound mental health supports in this country, especially for young men, but for young women as well. We need people to have full employment. We talk about Ireland never being as great with employment, but more than 80% of members of the Traveller community are still unemployed. In other parts of Ireland as well, unemployment is still a big issue. We all have access to school but it is unfortunate we do not see people from some communities being successful within the education system.

Over the past two years, we have seen an increase in danger within Ireland when it comes to violence on the streets against people from ethnic minority groups and migrants. We hear the word "foreigners" being used. Something Senator Ruane said in the previous Seanad still strikes me today; these are "people with nothing fighting for nothing." This comes from the Government. While communities are looking, and starving really, for accommodation, employment, equality of education and equality of healthcare in this country, we are putting one community against the other. That suits the Government, unfortunately, but it does not suit communities. As Senator Ruane said in the previous Seanad, again, "it is people with nothing fighting for nothing."

I heard a Senator reference policing by consent. I have seen many cases where it was not policing by consent. It is where gardaí kick down a door at 5 o'clock in the morning, just go in, vanish through a house and terrorise the people in those houses. Again, that is not consent policing. Some communities are absolutely overpoliced. We have to have a bigger conversation on keeping communities safe. The only way we will keep all communities safe is by dealing with poverty and some of the crises in this country.