The House will now hear one-minute statements on matters appropriate to the Minister for Justice. I propose to call Deputy Jimmy Deenihan, then Deputy Michael Finucane, Deputy David Andrews and Deputy Charles Flanagan to make a one-minute statement appropriate to the Minister for Justice. First let us hear Deputy Jimmy Deenihan.
Adjournment Debate. - Justice Matters.
The Government must recognise that the victims of crime are in many ways neglected under our criminal justice system. Every one of the 90,000 criminal offences reported annually involves a person who has suffered injury, often serious, sometimes fatal. In most cases the system does not take into account the trauma and loss suffered by these victims or provide adequate mechanisms for compensation and restitution. It is a very sad reflection on this Government that persons who are injured as a result of a criminal activity have to wait two years for their hospital expenses to be paid by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal. These individuals are not covered by the VHI and in many instances have to borrow large sums of money to pay their medical expenses. Because of the present financial crisis, hospitals and health boards have to be paid immediately. They just cannot afford to wait.
I appeal to the Minister to make the necessary funds available in the Estimates to ensure that all outstanding claims are paid immediately. I tell him we cannot have a situation where people become victims not merely of one injustice as the result of possibly a savage criminal attack but also of an attack of a different kind by their Government. Justice and commonsense dictate a major change of approach in the way we deal with victims of crime.
Deputy, your one minute is exhausted. I will hear the Minister at the end.
My concern relates to the Video Recordings Bill. As the Minister is aware, over many years people welcomed developments in that area and when the President signed the Bill in December 1989 we all envisaged that it would be implemented. The concern at this stage is that I understand the regulations are still being drafted and the legislation is not being implemented. Meanwhile we have up to 2,000 videos coming into this country each year with no censorship whatsoever. We all know that around the country in every town and village there has been a proliferation of units selling videos. My concern is reflected by many parents approaching me who are concerned particularly about teenagers having regard to some of the videos which are for sale. I ask the Minister to implement speedily this much needed legislation. Are economies holding it up? One would have to strengthen the censorship section if the legislation is to be implemented effectively.
I must now call another Deputy.
I am totally against the proposed location of the Dún Laoghaire Garda Station at Kill Avenue and I strongly support the suggestion that it should be located at the site next to the Town Hall on Crofton Avenue in Dún Laoghaire.
Dún Laoghaire is a town the size of Limerick, with a large shopping centre, busy main street and about 15 financial institutions. It is the focal point for the various forms of transport — boat, Dart, buses etc. For this reason a convenient Garda station is essential.
The presence of the Garda station in the town centre plays a major part in crime prevention. Because of the constant movement of personnel towards a central Garda station serious crime such as armed robbery and robberies from persons making deposits at banks is prevented. When the Garda station moves from the town centre, there will definitely be an increase in this sort of crime.
The gardaí work a shift system. The new Garda station will be two miles from the town and there will be a break in continuity of policing of the town and due to the change-over of shifts. This will be taken advantage of by criminals. Can you imagine a tourist in Dún Laoghaire who has just been robbed of all his belongings seeking directions to the local police station? It would be extremely difficult for anybody to direct them to Kill Avenue. By having the Garda station in the centre of the town, it is possible to deal very effectively with drunk and disorderly persons.
The time available to the Deputy is exhausted.
Drunk and disorderly persons are quickly removed from the streets to the station and the patrol car is back on the streets to deal with any further incidents.
I would like to pay tribute to the gardaí in Blackrock, Dún Laoghaire, Dalkey, Kill-o'-the-Grange and the Shankill area for the work they are doing.
I am calling Deputy Charles Flanagan and he has one minute.
I take it Deputy Andrews has not exhausted a portion of my minute? I wish to express the serious concern of my constituents in the rural communities of Clonaslee, Durrow, Ballyinan and Stradbally at the proposed changes envisaged by the Minister for Justice in rural policing. The concept as envisaged, of a garda travelling daily up to 20 miles in a car to open a Garda station for a couple of hours and then travelling back is not in the best interests of the community. The patrol car will be used as a mere taxi service, notwithstanding the statement of the Minister for Justice on 4 October to the effect that no rural Garda station will close.
I ask the Minister to be more specific about the changes envisaged. I ask him to bear in mind the detriment to the community should Garda stations be reduced to opening for an hour, an hour and a half or two hours per day. Crime in rural areas is rising and the only way it will be halted is by having the local Garda station properly manned and resourced. The only way to defeat crime is by having the local gardaí present in the community, in the village, because local knowledge is the essence of the garda's work. I ask the Minister before making any decision on the matter to consider the views of bodies such as Community Alert, the Garda representative bodies and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors.
I now call the Minister.
I ask the Minister to clear the air with particular regard to the people of my constituency who are alarmed at the changes envisaged.
The Minister for Justice and Communications, Deputy Ray Burke, to reply. He has five minutes available to him.
In relation to the matter raised by Deputy Deenihan, I refer him to my reply to his Parliamentary Question of 27 November 1990 and to my reply on the Adjournment to Deputy Gay Mitchell on 15 November 1990.
In relation to the matter raised by Deputy Finucane, the regulations to give effect to the provisions of the Video Recordings Act, 1989 are being drafted at present and will be brought into effect in stages as soon as possible. Furthermore, work on the installation of the necessary administrative and technical systems at the Film Censor's office is being carried out at present but it is not possible to say precisely when the regulations will be finalised. I expect the first stage will be completed early in the New Year.
In relation to the point raised by Deputy Andrews, as I indicated in reply to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 206 and 207 on 24 October 1990, the Garda Divisional Headquarters building in Dún Laoghaire is in very poor condition and in urgent need of repair.
The site of the existing station could not accommodate the proposed new station. It has been necessary, therefore, to try to find an alternative site. Ideally, what is required is a suitable and centrally-located site on which a modern Garda Divisional Headquarters building can be erected. For this reason, considerable efforts were made to obtain part of the site, adjacent to the Town Hall, which is held by the Department of the Marine. However, despite these efforts, it has not been found possible to obtain the agreement of the authorities concerned, but I assure the Deputy that I view this as the ideal site and I share his concern about moving elsewhere.
I am satisfied that a new Garda Divisional Headquarters building is needed to serve the Borough of Dún Laoghaire and I am anxious to proceed as quickly as possible with the provision of this new station. In the absence of a more central site, the question of obtaining a site in Kill Avenue adjacent to the new fire station is being pursued as a matter of urgency, but I want to emphasise that I still believe that the site at the Town Hall is the ideal site and it would be my hope that the views in that area would be changed.
In relation to Deputy Flanagan's point I want to assure the Deputy that the concerns to which he refers are without foundation. There are no plans to close any Garda station in County Laois or reduce Garda manning levels there. I would refer the Deputy to the statement made on my behalf by the Minister of State at the Department of the Gaeltacht during the Adjournment Debate on 14 November on the question of policing in east Cork. That statement, which dealt with policing in rural areas generally, repeated and confirmed my commitment to keep rural Garda stations open. It also reaffirmed my determination that there should be no reduction in the Garda presence in rural Ireland and that nothing should be done to interfere with the close relationship which has traditionally existed between rural communities and the Garda Síochána.
The Dáil adjourned at 11.15 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 5 December 1990.