The former IDA chief executive, Mr Padraig White, is to chair the first National Crime Council, membership of which has been announced by the Minister for Justice and Law Reform.
The council will "facilitate broadly-based and well-informed discussions on crime", Mr O'Donoghue said. Initially it will operate on a two-year, non-statutory basis.
While membership of the council will be confined to 16, it will have the freedom to "consult as appropriate" and will link with key Government Departments.
It will also liaise with the existing committees and other bodies, both statutory and non-statutory, that have an interest in crime policy, where relevant, the Department said. The council's membership is: Mr Padraig White, chairman; Mr Pat Folan, Assistant Secretary, Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform; Mr Peter Fitzgerald, Deputy Commissioner, An Garda Siochana; Ms June Meehan, head of projects, Combat Poverty Agency; Mr Fergus McCabe, member of the National Drugs Strategy Team; Ms Lilian McGovern, CEO of Victim Support; Ms Mary Ellen Ring BL, Irish Association for the Study of Juvenile Delinquency; Mr John Hynes, CEO, An Post and chairman of Dublin Chamber of Commerce; Mr John Fitzgerald, city manager, Dublin Corporation; Mr Jim Quigley, national president of Muintir na Tire; Mrs Rosemary Tierney, founding member of Neighbourhood Watch; Mr Michael Reilly, judge of the District Court; Dr John O' Mahony, senior counsel; Dr Dermot Walsh, professor of law, University of Limerick; Mr Jack Marrinan, former general secretary of the Garda Representative Association; Ms Angela McGaughey, youth worker.
The key roles envisaged for the council, according to the Department of Justice, will be to:
focus on crime prevention - with particular emphasis on the underlying causes of crime and the development of partnerships and practical approaches that will be effective at community level
focus directly on raising public knowledge and awareness of crime
examine the "fear of crime" and address the issues including those relating to minorities which arise as a consequence of this
identify research priorities which could be commissioned by the Department
provide an input to the development of a White Paper on crime - on issues that come within the council's remit
report and make recommendations to the Minister as appropriate
The council's establishment follows the recent report of the National Crime Forum. The central remit of the forum was to facilitate public consultation on crime and crime-related issues and to give "a broad base of interests" the opportunity to make their views known to policy-makers in the criminal justice area.
The process is to be advanced later this year with the preparation of a White Paper on crime.