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Press Release: Justice 14
December 2006
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14 December 2006
Brady's call for army response to
murder epidemic appalling – Cuffe
Greens call for strategic, coordinated
approach to violent crime
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The Green Party today questioned calls
for the deployment of the army to deal with the shocking surge in
violent crime that has seen nearly 30 people murdered this year,
five of these in the last six days. Green Party Leader Trevor
Sargent asked in the Dáil this morning whether Fianna Fail Senator
Cyprian Brady was speaking for the Government when he suggested that
troops should take to the streets. Deputy Sargent also asked the
Minister for Justice whether he had discussed this initiative with
Senator Brady.
Green Party Justice spokesperson Ciarán Cuffe TD said: "I
would like Senator Brady to explain how he feels the Irish armed
forces could play a role in bringing the current spate of gangland
feuding to an end. His call shows an appalling lack of understanding
of the situation and clearly illustrates just how out of their depth
he and his Government colleagues are in terms of fighting this
specific type of crime. A cursory glance at the mapping of crime in
the city – available at dublincrime.com – shows that a dozen of the
murders in the last three years have taken place in the Taoiseach
and Senator Brady's constituency. Would the Taoiseach welcome the
deployment of troops in Drumcondra?"
"We are sorely in need of a well coordinated, multi-agency approach
to tackling organised crime in this country. Minister McDowell has
said that the Garda Commissioner has a 'blank cheque' for the
funding of special initiatives such as Operation Anvil and Operation
Oak. But throwing money at a problem is simply not the answer. These
gangs are operating at a very sophisticated level, and the response
should be equally sophisticated.
"It is also clear that our prison system in its current incarnation
is simply not working. Drug rehabilitation and prisoner education
programmes have suffered terribly under this Minister for Justice.
It is widely accepted that the main factors contributing to
recidivism are illiteracy and addiction. I am calling on the
Minister to reinstate programmes, including the CONNECT programme,
which have never been afforded the opportunity to make a real impact
on the lives of prisoners. The onus is on the Minister for Justice
to take action and invest in training and education programmes for
prisoners, especially for young offenders who deserve to have the
opportunity to equip themselves for life outside prison.
"While recognising that there is no panacea for criminal activity in
this country the Green Party believes that there are a number of key
areas, which, if tackled effectively could level out the current
imbalances within Irish society and lead to a reduction in criminal
activity. Low family income/consistent poverty, inadequate housing,
low educational achievement, and access to social/recreational
facilities are areas that the Government must tackle in order to
redress the marginalisation experienced by too many communities in
Ireland. Projects identified for funding under the RAPID Programme
are not proceeding fast enough. Socially excluded areas require
increased attention and investment in education, training and urban
renewal," concluded Deputy Cuffe.
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CiaranCuffe.com