29th November 2002

PRESS RELEASE

McDOWELL HAS NERVE TO CLAIM STRATEGIES IN PLACE TO TACKLE ‘CAUSES OF CRIME’ AND ‘SOCIAL EXCLUSION’

The Green Party has accused the Government of a complete failure to adequately tackle “the ever-rising serious crime figures”.

Green Party Justice spokesperson, Ciarán Cuffe T.D., said that “it was a joke for Mr. McDowell to suggest that he had put in place strategies to tackle the causes of crime and that he was dealing in a coherent way with issues of social exclusion”.  “If that is the case why is Michael McDowell presiding over the sale of a prison for the rehabilitation of young offenders, Shanganagh Castle?

“This is a slick piece of footwork on behalf of the Government because the previous Minister for Justice, John O’Donoghue, has been aware of these alarming figures since before the May General Election. The Government has made a mess of the economy and has now presided over an alarming rise in crime.   Once again we see the devastating results of a Government that has rowed back on its General Election promises.   Where is the Government’s much publicised provision of 2,000 extra Gardaí? This promise seems to have vanished without trace. Unless the Government supplies the Gardaí with extra resources the public will continue to witness the increasing daily reports of murder, gangland killings and sexual assault.  These crime figures make for very disturbing reading.”

 “This report represents a dramatic reversal and could be described as a crime epidemic.  The report shows an overall 18 % increase in headline crime, that is, homicide, robberies, assault. There is an even more dramatic increase in serious assaults, sexual assaults and murder. While the detection rates for more serious offences is higher than the 41% average, there is still an alarming rise in these crimes along with an unprecedented 81% rise in sexual assaults.”

ENDS

For further information contact:

Ciarán Cuffe, TD        087 265 2075 or 677 3372

Stephen Rawson, Press Officer            087 235 7551 or 618 4088