Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 25 Jun 1996

Vol. 467 No. 4

Written Answers. - Crimes Against Tourists.

Ben Briscoe

Ceist:

219 Mr. Briscoe asked the Minister for Justice if her attention has been drawn to the fact that one of the reasons tourists are being targeted by criminals is the belief that the victim will have returned home before the case comes to court and that the victim will therefore be unable to give evidence; the action, if any, she plans to take to deal with this loophole; the current arrangements for dealing with crimes against tourists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13497/96]

Minister for Justice (Mrs. Owen)

I am aware that tourists who have been victims of crime often have to return home before their cases can be dealt with in the courts. However legislative provisions are in place under the Criminal Evidence Act, 1992 to enable a tourist who is the victim of a crime to make an immediate statement before a District Judge which is admissible as evidence in court and can be used without the necessity of the victim attending the subsequent trial. This provision has been in force since 7 October 1992 and is operating successfully. In addition, section 29 of the Act provides that any person (other than the accused) who is outside the State may give evidence from abroad by live television link. This section of the Act is not yet in operation and its implementation is under consideration in my Department.

I am satisfied the legislative provisions in place ensure that even where tourists who have been victims of crime have to return home prior to the criminal trial, their evidence can be made available to the court.

The issue of crime against tourists is one which receives the highest priority from my Department and the Garda authorities. Close co-operation is maintained with Bord Fáilte and other tourist interests to ensure that crimes of this nature are minimised to the greatest possible extent. A number of measures have been taken by the Garda to deal with the problem of attacks against tourists. These include the deployment of additional gardaí in areas of high tourist interest and locations which frequently feature in instances of crime against tourists. A Garda office on O'Connell Street is also helpful and serves as a central location for advising tourists on preventative measures. Information leaflets, written in three European languages are provided by the Garda to advise tourists on how to protect their property and personal belongings and these are available at all sea ports and airports. Another initiative has been the launch by Garda Community Relations Unit of a street map for tourists in Dublin listing places of current and historical interests, showing supervised car parks and giving crime prevention advice. I understand that it is intended to extend this project to other areas frequented by tourists. Gardaí have also carried out security surveys of all youth hostel accommodation and have advised on how best to secure entry and exit points to these buildings and to provide facilities which will enable tourists to store luggage securely.

For those tourists unfortunate enough to end up as victims of crime, there is the Dublin Tourist Victim Support Service which was launched on 14 April 1994 and which is being operated by the Irish Association for Victim Support. The service, which is modelled on the Amsterdam Tourist Assistance Service, provides tourists who have been victims of crime with help in overcoming the initial trauma of their experiences. The Garda Síochána has been involved in setting up this service and have provided premises for its operation at the Garda Dublin Metropolitan Area Headquarters at Harcourt Square. The service is grant aided by the Minister for Tourism and Trade. A Co-ordinator with a victim support background has been appointed to head the team of volunteers who provide the service. All volunteers have a wide range of foreign languages and have received extensive training.