Vol. 421 No. 2
10 Mr. Farrelly asked the Minister for Justice the measures, if any, he has initiated to ensure the speedy processing in court of those involved in criminal actions against visiting tourists; if he is prepared to recommend that special tourist police stations with specialist personnel be established in areas of known high risk of criminal activities to visiting tourists; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
28 Mr. Byrne asked the Minister for Justice if he will outline the latest figures available to him regarding the level of offence recorded against tourists during the summer months; if he has any plans to take any new steps to deal with crime against tourists; if he will confirm that Bord Fáilte made a detailed submission to his Department on this problem as long ago as 1983; if he will outline the action taken as a result of the Bord Fáilte submission; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
65 Mr. Pattison asked the Minister for Justice if, in view of the forthcoming tourist season, he will outline the additional steps he proposes to implement in order to protect the public and tourists from the activities of criminals; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
80 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Justice if he will outline the steps he has taken to ensure that we can offer tourists protection from these criminals.
87 Tomás Mac Giolla asked the Minister for Justice the measures his Department are taking to protect tourists to this country from muggings and thefts; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Oral Questions Nos. 10, 28, 65 and 80 and Written Questions No. 87 together.
I am concerned that visitors to this country can be subject to criminal attacks and I fully support and encourage the efforts of the Garda and tourist bodies to tackle this problem.
I can confirm that representatives of Dublin Tourism, the Irish Hotels Federation and Bord Fáilte met with the then Minister for Justice in 1983 and presented him with a document containing recommendations on measures which they felt could be taken to safeguard tourists and their property.
These recommendations were carefully considered and a detailed reply was issued to the regional tourist manager which stated that most of the recommendations had already been, or were being, put into effect; it is certainly not the position, as some have suggested, that these recommendations were not followed up.
The problem of attacks on tourists is being given special attention by the Garda authorities who work closely with Bord Fáilte and other tourist interests on an ongoing basis to find the most effective ways of dealing with the problem. A number of measures have been taken including the deployment of additional Garda patrols, such as gardaí on plain clothes duty in areas of high tourist interest. Arrangements have been made with various bodies for the printing and distribution of leaflets which offer tourists practical advice on such matters as car security and safety of personal belongings. Advice on personal security at camp sites is now also being included in these leaflets.
Another measure designed to help in tackling the problem is the provision of the new Garda office which opened in March 1990 in O'Connell Street, Dublin. This serves as a centre for advising tourists on preventive measures which they can take to safeguard themselves and their belongings.
The Garda authorities are satisfied that the measures already implemented and the current policing arrangements are adequate to deal with the problem. They inform me that they have made a number of important detections of this type of crime and that the incidence of such crime is on a downward trend.
I am aware that there have been calls from time to time for the speedier processing by the courts of cases involving tourists. However, in considering how the interests of tourists can best be safeguarded in this respect, regard must also be had for certain fundamental rights of the accused such as the right to sufficient time to prepare a defence, to obtain legal aid and in certain cases to opt for trial by judge and jury. This matter has been carefully considered and special provisions in this regard are included in the Criminal Evidence Bill now before the House. These provisions allow a tourist who is the victim of a crime to make an immediate statement before a district judge. This statement may be used as evidence without the necessity for the victim to attend the subsequent trial. The Bill also provides that the victim may give evidence from abroad by live television link.
The fact that tourists are, unfortunately, the subject of attack in other countries and that in many cases the risks are far higher than they are here, provides no grounds for complacency. This country has a reputation, recognised world-wide, for friendliness and hospitality which is second to none. It is of the greatest importance that we keep it that way by taking whatever measures are necessary to ensure that the tiny minority in our midst who see any apparently soft target as fair game will not have their way.
Given that our tourism industry is worth approximately £1.2 billion each year and that the State receives between £500-£600 million of this, would the Minister not accept that the one Garda information office that has been set up in O'Connell Street is not sufficient to deal with the numbers requiring information, as is evidenced by the number of incidents that take place? Would the Minister consider, in conjunction with the Garda Síochána, setting up other such offices in this city and in other cities visited by large numbers of tourists each year?
I understand that the Garda are very active in areas where there are large congregations of people, particularly tourists. I am pleased that there is a downward trend in attacks on tourists throughout the country, with a greater decrease in the number of attacks in the Dublin area, and that is encouraging. Obviously the operations of the Garda in co-operation with tourist organisations and the organisers of major events are successful. Tourists are very vulnerable particularly when they congregate in large numbers. Great care is taken in the organisation of events, with close co-operation between the relevant tourist centres and the Garda, and we are achieving a better result.
I accept that there is some small improvement in this regard but would the Minister not accept that there should be a second information office in Dublin and possibly an office in Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Galway, and every effort made to inform the tourist? Can the Minister confirm that some of the gardaí in the office in Dublin are in a position to speak more than one language? If not, would he request the relevant authorities to consider training some of the gardaí to speak languages other than English?
I cannot say offhand whether the gardaí in the O'Connell Street office are mutli-lingual but I know that considerable technology has been installed in Templemore to deal with language training. Because of the high academic qualifications of many of the trainee gardaí entering the force, obviously many of them would have other languages. The suggestion is a good one and I will bring it to the attention of the Garda Commissioner.
Would the Minister not consider that for many tourists Dublin is a crime blackspot, particularly considering that one family's baby was stolen in a car? I am sure there is no other capital city where that would happen.
That did not happen in Dublin.
Would the Minister not accept that it is important to have an action plan to help tourists? Have the Department any plan to ensure that people would have their passports replaced and would be assisted as regards stolen luggage and money? Would the Minister not accept that this is necessary in any scheme to reduce crime?
I do not know about any scheme to deal with the matter in that way but a great deal of information is given in the location in O'Connell Street. Leaflets are available on car security and safety, personal belongings, personal security and so on. The gardaí in that location are very co-operative and the office is very well used and appreciated by the tourists. Substantial resources have been put into that office and it is proving a success. Virtually the same number of attacks on tourists takes place in the Dublin metropolitan area as in the rest of the country and that gives an idea of what has to be done. We must concentrate on areas of greatest demand, one of which is the city, and that is why the office was set up in Dublin. Lessons are being learned; there is a downward trend in crime and we are happy to record success.
While not seeking to minimise any problem, Dublin needs protection in that the incident referred to by Deputy Fennell occurred in the neighbouring county of Wicklow and not in Dublin.
A baby is a baby.
Yes, but not all crime takes place in Dublin. I accept that there are competing considerations from the defence and prosecution points of view, but given that the Minister does not anticipate speedier trials in the courts can he give some indication whether there will be delays in the introduction of the television link, which is one of the most important ways of assisting tourists to give testimony and to play a part in our courts? Once the laws are in place how soon will the television link be operative?
Would the Minister consider introducing a scheme to provide leaflets to motorists coming off our ferries warning them of the dangers of leaving property exposed in cars in the streets of our cities? Finally, would the Minister accept that what is needed in Dublin is a secure parking compound for touring vans and motor cars? Tourists with valuables and property are easy targets and there is no place central to the city of Dublin where they can park in safety.
The Deputy is wandering a little now. We dealt with the television link on the Criminal Evidence Bill, and money is available to put that procedure into operation. Contracts are being considered as to when and where these systems will be placed. The first centre will be located in the Four Courts where a room is being prepared for that purpose, and the system will be expanded to other centres thereafter.
Will it immediately have an international link-up?
Technology is being installed to cater for that. Obviously there has to be co-operation with studios in other areas to enable the system to be operated. It was proposed to introduce this system to deal with white collar fraud, but it will also be relevant in assiting tourists. It is very important that tourists who would be on the move would be enabled to make a statement direct to the district justice shortly after the incident, which could be taken as evidence in the courts.
When it is challenged it cannot be used.
That is the difficulty that arises and that is the reason the link-up is so important. There is no delay in this regard. Money is available and priority is being given to a pilot scheme in the Four Courts. I would be reluctant to provide for the tourist as soon as he comes into this hospitable country a leaflet telling him to watch himself.
Tourists will thank us in the long run.
All tourists will not have a bad experience and all of them will not be bound for the metropolitan area. The incidents are very few when spread across the country. Tourists are warned to be careful by tourist offices around the country without upsetting the whole tourist industry, which we would not like to see happen. As regards a city centre compound, the Deputy is raising an issue in which the Minister had an interest in a previous manifestation. He should not be testing this matter. However, I hope that something will be done, but it would not be in the Garda area of activity.
It could be supervised by the Garda Síochána.
I wish that some people who have the resources available to them would use them to provide more secure car parks in the city.
The progress made at Question Time today has been extremely disappointing — ten questions in an hour is not good enough from any standpoint.
Would the Minister agree that in tackling the crime problem in Dublin what is needed, particularly in the centre of Dublin, is an increase in the number of Garda foot patrols? That is something that is sought by the traders in the city centre to safeguard tourists, Dubliners and others visiting the capital city. Will the Minister indicate whether that is to happen this year? In the light of the horrific murder of the German tourist——
That matter is sub judice.
I am not going to raise the matter.
Let us be careful.
In the light of the horrific events in the Phoenix Park last year, have any special security precautions been put in place there this year to provide protection for tourists who may camp overnight in the park, to ensure that there is no further incidence of such horrors?
I took the opportunity last week to meet representatives of the traders in the centre city. I met them on a number of occasions as Minister for the Environment on other related matters, so I was renewing old acquaintances. They made the point the Deputy has made. They place great store on foot patrols. They regard them as a valuable way of indicating to all those who would seek to pursue crime that there is security on the streets. I took it on myself to bring this to the attention of the Assistant Commissioner dealing with these matters. It is an operational thing. Quite a large number of gardaí are located close to O'Connell Street as there are four or five Garda stations located near there. The Garda are making the best use of resources but I will pursue this question a bit further. We will be having the report on urban crime and I hope to take that up specifically with the Commissioner in so far as patrolling is concerned in Dublin city centre streets. It gives a great feeling of security to citizens, not only to visitors. I support the Deputy's point of view.
What about security in the Phoenix Park?
Question No. 11 please.
