The fight against the activities of gangs "is going to be long and has to be relentless", Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan has told the Dáil.
He said it was his intention to establish as policing priorities for 2008 areas such as gun crime, organised crime and drugs and public order. He had already given priority to establishing a joint policing committee in each local authority area, and 29 were now operating on a pilot basis.
The Minister stressed that the crime rate per 1,000 of population had dropped from 26 in 2003 to 24.5 in 2006. Since August 1st there had been 17 murders and manslaughters and people had been charged in 13, or 76 per cent, of these cases.
Opening the Dáil debate on tackling crime, Mr Lenihan pointed out, however, that his main responsibility was for the criminal justice system, but "there are many matters wider than the operation of the criminal justice system that can have an effect on the crime rate.
"For example, in this country many people seek out and use illicit drugs. There people are the ready market that is the lifeblood of the drugs industry and the deadly violence associated with it."
He said that "at the other end of the scale, while gardaí have to use the law to deal with incidents of public disorder, we have to be conscious too that there is a need for facilities for young people in our communities. To put it at its most basic, it helps that when gardaí have to move young people along there is somewhere for them to go."
The Minister also highlighted that while no Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (Asbos) had been applied for yet by gardaí, they had issued hundreds of warning notices. Mr Lenihan said the Asbo system involved a series of procedures, including behaviour warnings and good behaviour contracts, in the case of children. Where the warnings do not succeed, "they will culminate in Asbos being sought".
