I welcome the Minister for Justice to the House and congratulate him on his appointment. I look forward, as Seanad spokesman on Justice and Law Reform, to discussions over a period of time with him.
The problem I raise here today is a growing one; it is the problem of urban unrest which has been growing over the past decade. There is urgency in the large housing estates in Dublin, Cork and Limerick where this situation has manifested itself more than in other areas. The experience in Ronanstown at the latter end of 1991 serves to highlight the difficulties created in deprived areas. As this and similar estates grew without facilities, with a high level of unemployment, it should not now be a surprise that crime and violence would result. At this stage the problem is one of law and order but the solution to the problems are deeper and require the allocation of resources to tackle them.
The problems in our large housing estates started as social problems but are now problems of law and order. The lack of Garda resources and manpower and the inadequacy of legislation must be corrected. Young criminals must be stopped from terrorising their own communities. We urgently need new thinking to tackle the growing levels of crime in our cities and major towns. I ask the Minister to recognise that the phenomenon of youth unrest is not just an issue for the Garda to keep a lid on; we must recognise that the growth in petty crime is a manifestation of youth alienation. The solution to such crime must involve more than just the Garda Síochána.
The Government must recognise that poverty, unemployment and education failure are the main causes of youth alienation from society resulting in such crime. The situation has the potential to grow and envelop more aspects of our society. The Department of Education have a key role to play in this. The role of the school in deprived areas must be examined. Policies must be introduced to strengthen this. Achievement at school must have more acceptance and status in communities in deprived areas where not only family attitude but the atmosphere in the school influences the young person's view on school.
In Dublin, on any one day one out of ten pupils is missing through truancy; this amounts to 6,000 children in our capital city. One in three working class young people in large housing estates leaves school without any qualifications. They either fail their exams or drop out altogether. Either way, their life opportunities are severely limited. They start life with a badge of failure. School must become important and attractive to these young people. If a person does well in school he or she will do well when it comes to getting employment.
I want to refer to the fact that there are some pilot projects being completed in this area. There is one such project in Jobstown where children who may get into difficulties are identified and taken to special courses. These children are between the ages of 12 and 18. They are identified as people with difficulties that are likely to get them into trouble. Attendance at these programmes is recognised and recorded by the school principals. This has been agreed with the Department of Education.
The group starts off with a group breakfast. Built around this is an hour long exercise where everybody listens to the speaker; each member of the group in turn, is given an opportunity to talk. Following from this, the children are broken into three groups for an hour long exercise in literacy and numeracy. Then some do art and crafts for an hour and three-quarters, while others involve themselves in viewing, reflecting and discussing issues of relevance. For lunch the group go to Jobstown Community Centre where they take part in drama, and the day finishes with a swimming class in the St. John of God pool in Islandbridge.
Outside the school hours programme, the children are involved in activities such as horse care, riding, farm visits, outwardbound programmes, week-end trips, visits to theatres, museums and other events that are of relevance to the growth and development of the child. Project staff aim to befriend any child looking for such a relationship. They keep in touch with the parents, link closely with the home and liaise with the teachers. To date, the feed-back from parents of children involved in the Jobstown youth action project has been very positive. Children now and in the past who have attended the programme settle down in school, express themselves in a more positive manner and show a huge improvement in their attendance at school and they become better able to handle and cope with day to day living. For the individual children involved, the results will be with them for life. What I am saying is that the change in the aspect of school is not just pie in the sky. This is a pilot project that has shown it can be successful and improve life chances.
We must review FÁS courses in deprived areas of our cities and towns. There have been training courses in abundance, but training for what? It appears to be training just for training sake, and to reduce the unemployment statistics. FÁS and other Government agencies must create proper training programmes with a prospect of full-time jobs at the end of such courses. The stark reality at present is that these youngsters are facing a life of unemployment with no outlet for their energies except in criminal activity. As a consequence, this State has to maintain them in prison at a cost of £700 a week, the cost of maintaining such a person in gainful employment is less than half this amount. Employment gives a sense of purpose, status and contribution to the community. It is less likely that a person involved in a job will get into trouble. The Dublin centre city traders are looking at this and are actively involved in looking at ways of giving work opportunities to people in deprived areas. There should be pilot projects and special subsidies to employers to take such people into employment for a certain period.
The State involves itself in the expenditure in salaries of personnel who work to help young people. I refer to youth workers, FÁS staff, probation officers, welfare officers, health board workers, and so on. It also involves teachers and the Garda Síochána often becoming involved outside their specific duties and in their spare time. I believe there should be closer and more systematic liaison between these people. There should be more team work and the Government and other organisations should encourage this.
The Minister must recognise that crime prevention is a key element in tackling this problem. We must look at tighter regulations in regard to the retailing of alcohol, especially to young people. Cars should be more secure. It should be mandatory on car manfacturers to introduce proper and more sophisticated antitheft devices. Adequate street lighting also should be maintained in high-risk areas. Tourists should be advised on routes to be taken throughout the cities. A certain amount of this has been done to date, but there should be more detailed advice for tourists.
The Minister must look at the policies on sanctions for youth crime. New and imaginative non-custodial sanctions must be introduced, together with sufficient places in residential care for youth only where non-custodial sanctions clearly fail. Professional help must be readily available to families in difficulties. The Child Care Act must be implemented immediately. Health boards must be given adequate resources to assist families in trouble. Child abuse, family violence and alcoholism are often features of a family where youngsters slide into trouble. Proper support systems should be available to families at risk. I am amazed at the lack of support for families who are getting into trouble and where relationships are breaking down. We come across such cases every day in our political capacity and very often there is nobody to turn to. Sometimes we have the local parish priest, who may be very inadequate to deal with this. There are no proper facilities in most areas to protect families who are at risk.
Crime prevention depends on the goodwill and co-operation of ordinary people. The local economy, support groups and social life in deprived areas must be strengthened and there must be more investment. Local people are most affected by crime levels. Community policing must be developed and the level of trust between the Garda, the other professionals and the local people must be promoted.
I would like to quote Professor Robbie Gilligan, lecturer in Social Studies in Trinity College, who has done a study on this subject:
These problems have the potential to grow and multiply and to envelop ever more strands of our daily life. The proliferation of petty crime against Dubliners and tourists is one example of this overspill of youth alienation into the lives of those outside disadvantaged areas.
The problems of youth crime and unrest in urban ghettos require a multifaceted strategy, involving many other organisations beyond, but obviously including, the Garda Síochána. The strategy must be grounded in a clear recognition of poverty, unemployment and educational failure as the seed bed of much crime and dissatisfaction.
I thank the Minister for taking this motion.
