asked the Minister for Justice if he will respond to the substantial increase in recorded crime as contained in the Report on Crime, 1988; and the proposals, if any, he has to deal with the situation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Report on Crime.
52.
The Garda Commissioner's Report on Crime for 1988 indicates that the level of recorded indictable crime increased by 4.9 per cent on the 1987 figure. To put that increase in perspective it should be borne in mind that the incidence of such crime had fallen by about 17 per cent in the period 1983-1987. In fact the 1988 figure is appreciably lower than the 1983 one.
Any increase in the level of crime gives for concern and on 14 December last, when provisional figures had indicated that an increase had occurred, my predecessor informed the House that the Garda authorities had taken a number of positive steps to address the situation. Each district officer in the DMA had recently prepared a programme of measures designed to reduce the incidence of crimes that most affected his district and particular attention was being given to the problem of crimes of violence. These plans contained quite specific measures to meet the circumstances peculiar to each district in the DMA. More Garda measures were also being devoted to crime prevention in the DMA, with the continued expansion of the neighbourhood watch scheme and the extension of community policing to a number of new areas.
I am glad to say that the indications are that the measures taken by the Garda to date are proving to be effective. The Garda authorities have informed me that the provisional figures for recorded indictable crime in the country as a whole for the first nine months of this year indicate a decrease of 2.8 per cent over the figures for the corresponding period in 1988, while the provisional figures for the Dublin Metropolitan Area show a decrease of about 6 per cent.
The downward trend which these provisional figures indicate is very welcome. However, I want to assure the Deputy that I am anything but complacent about relatively short-term trends of this nature. The crime situation continues to be the cause of great concern and I am determined to ensure that all further feasible measures that are needed to tackle it successfully are taken and that the necessary resources are made available and deployed to enable that to be done. One of my primary objectives is to see that the visible presence of gardaí on operational duties on the streets is increased. Another is to ensure that increased facilities should be available to accommodate persons on whom the courts have imposed custodial sentence. I hope to be in a position shortly to announce some new measures to meet both of these objectives.
In tackling the crime problem it is also, of course, vitally important that the Garda have the legislative backing that they need to do their job effectively. I am bringing before the Oireachtas at present a number of legislative proposals which, I am confident, will play a significant part in the fight against crime. These include the Criminal Justice (Forensic Evidence) Bill, 1989, which opens the way for use of the new technique of genetic fingerprinting; the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Bill, 1989, which will control the possession of offensive weapons; and the Larceny Bill which creates a new offence of handling stolen property and is aimed at those who provide a market in illegally obtained property.
A further initiative has been taken recently to develop, on a co-ordinated basis, policy measures in relation to various areas of the criminal justice system. An interdepartmental working group has been established and has had its first meeting under my chairmanship. It comprises people with responsibility at a very senior level for such areas as the Garda Síochána, the custodial and non-custodial treatment of adult offenders and juveniles, the courts, the prosecution services and the development and reform of legislation. The aim is to identify what new or improved measures can be introduced under each of these headings to help the fight against crime and to take the necessary steps to see that what needs to be done is done as speedily as possible.
Would the Minister accept that there is urgent need for the new measures which the Minister has hinted at here? Would the Minister accept that after the success of the Fine Gael — Labour Government from 1983 to 1987 in bringing down the figures, the increase thereafter is alarming and that we need a major campaign against crime and that these new measures about which the Minister talks are needed yesterday?
The Deputy will be aware that the figures I have given in relation to the measures that have already been taken, in relation to the DMA show a decrease of about 6 per cent of the first nine months of this year and a decrease nationally of 2.8 per cent, but nobody could be complacent about crime. I assure the Deputy that everything that can be done is being done and will continue to be done to come to grips with crime. A number of initiatives are already under way and I will be in a position to make an announcement very shortly.
There is one other point which will need a major debate at some stage, but will the Minister accept that the figures he quotes may be to some extent misleading, in that there is growing evidence of a far greater degree of crimes not actually being reported because people have given up hope of finding any solution to their problems through reporting crime? It has even been suggested that many crimes against property are only reported because of the need to qualify for insurance policies.
I accept that there is serious crime and it is because of that that my predecessor took a series of measures and I am doing the same in relation to the legislative programme, in relation to the other package of measures which I will be announcing shortly, and in relation to the new group which is working at a very high level. This group is chaired by myself and it comprises people from the Garda Síochána, from the custodial area, and people in the non-custodial treatment of offenders area dealing with both adults and juveniles, the courts, the prosecution services, and people dealing with the development and reform of legislation. This cannot be tackled by a single-pronged measure. It must be across a broad range. I assure the Deputy and the House that during my period in the Department I will do anything I can to make people feel more secure in their homes and on the streets. The aim of the Government is to tackle crime and we must all express our gratitude to the Garda for what they are doing and on how they are tackling the problem in very difficult circumstances.
Hear, hear.
I assure the Deputy that from my point of view and the Government point of view we will give them all the tools available to carry on the battle.
They must have the support. We must have a major campaign.
Sorry, Deputy Kavanagh, that must dispose of questions for today.
I just have a short question in relation to this whole question and relating to another on the Order Paper which was not reached.
I am sorry, Deputy, supplementaries are confined to the Deputy who put down the question in respect of Priority Questions. I am sorry I cannot call the Deputy.
On a point of order, which is a fairly serious point on which Deputy Flanagan touched earlier, what is the procedure open to us to ensure that the Minister for Justice is available to us for a full session of Questions? I get the impression that with the combination of Communications and Justice——
Deputy O'Keeffe, what the Chair did and what the Minister did in respect of that matter was by way of an order of the House and if this House wants to change that order it may do so. It is supreme in such matters. We are now resuming——
I have raised this matter through the Whips and there is a reluctance on the part of the Minister to agree to a change——
I have explained the position to the Deputy.
——and that opinion was reinforced by the fact that the Minister took seven minutes to read out a reply to the first question.
That was the procedure that this House adopted. Let us resume now on Item No. 9.