Brady's call for army response to murder epidemic appalling

Press Release: Justice 14 December 2006

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14 December 2006

Brady's call for army response to murder epidemic appalling – Cuffe

Greens call for strategic, coordinated approach to violent crime

The Green Party today questioned calls for the deployment of the army to deal with the shocking surge in violent crime that has seen nearly 30 people murdered this year, five of these in the last six days. Green Party Leader Trevor Sargent asked in the Dáil this morning whether Fianna Fail Senator Cyprian Brady was speaking for the Government when he suggested that troops should take to the streets. Deputy Sargent also asked the Minister for Justice whether he had discussed this initiative with Senator Brady.

Green Party Justice spokesperson Ciarán Cuffe TD said: "I would like Senator Brady to explain how he feels the Irish armed forces could play a role in bringing the current spate of gangland feuding to an end. His call shows an appalling lack of understanding of the situation and clearly illustrates just how out of their depth he and his Government colleagues are in terms of fighting this specific type of crime. A cursory glance at the mapping of crime in the city – available at dublincrime.com – shows that a dozen of the murders in the last three years have taken place in the Taoiseach and Senator Brady's constituency. Would the Taoiseach welcome the deployment of troops in Drumcondra?"

"We are sorely in need of a well coordinated, multi-agency approach to tackling organised crime in this country. Minister McDowell has said that the Garda Commissioner has a 'blank cheque' for the funding of special initiatives such as Operation Anvil and Operation Oak. But throwing money at a problem is simply not the answer. These gangs are operating at a very sophisticated level, and the response should be equally sophisticated.

"It is also clear that our prison system in its current incarnation is simply not working. Drug rehabilitation and prisoner education programmes have suffered terribly under this Minister for Justice. It is widely accepted that the main factors contributing to recidivism are illiteracy and addiction. I am calling on the Minister to reinstate programmes, including the CONNECT programme, which have never been afforded the opportunity to make a real impact on the lives of prisoners. The onus is on the Minister for Justice to take action and invest in training and education programmes for prisoners, especially for young offenders who deserve to have the opportunity to equip themselves for life outside prison.

"While recognising that there is no panacea for criminal activity in this country the Green Party believes that there are a number of key areas, which, if tackled effectively could level out the current imbalances within Irish society and lead to a reduction in criminal activity. Low family income/consistent poverty, inadequate housing, low educational achievement, and access to social/recreational facilities are areas that the Government must tackle in order to redress the marginalisation experienced by too many communities in Ireland. Projects identified for funding under the RAPID Programme are not proceeding fast enough. Socially excluded areas require increased attention and investment in education, training and urban renewal," concluded Deputy Cuffe.

Ciarán Cuffe is a TD for the Dún Laoghaire Dáil Constituency. Ciarán can be contacted at Dáil Éireann, Kildare Street, Dublin 2 or 96 Patrick Street, Dún Laoghaire Tel. 284 6060 or 618 3082, Fax 618 4341, Email Ciaran CiaranCuffe.com, or Text Ciaran on 087 265 2075.