RADIO REVIEW:IT IS very Irish logic to hear a minister for justice trumpet an "awareness campaign" about how it's not cool to carry knives and, in the same breath, admit it was useless in reaching people who do.
On Monday's The Last Word(Today FM, weekdays), Minister for Justice, Dermot Ahern told presenter Anton Savage, "That type of awareness campaign completely goes over their heads and they ignore it." As Savage pointed out, the campaign was launched only last February, several years after knife crime had become a problem.
Ahern cited the amnesty in 2006 allowing people to hand in weapons without penalty, and said the Government should be given credit. (Incidentally, that amnesty came after repeated calls from the opposition.) He then strayed from the core issue of young people using knives by citing "marital situations, where somebody picks up a carving knife or a bread knife which is normally not an offensive weapon but becomes an offensive weapon", and said with all the authority of someone who just saw a revival of West Side Story, "If one group has a knife and is known to have a knife then another group will also potentially arm themselves with knives." Ahern also said he brought forward legislation to increase the maximum sentence for carrying a knife in a public place from one year to five. "Sometimes we're criticised and rightly criticised," he said, "but we did react."
Ger Philpott from Advocates for Victims of Homicide (AdVic) called for peer education (young people talking to other young people), stricter sentences, and a register listing those who commit violent crimes. Savage wondered if the latter would infringe on a person’s civil rights. Philpott replied, “What about the people who were killed? They have human rights as well.”
Evening Heraldcrime analyst and former Garda detective inspector Gerry O'Carroll told presenter Eamon Keane on Wednesday's Lunchtime(Newstalk 106-108, weekdays) that government responses have been half-hearted and said Irish society has now changed irrevocably. "Are we talking about the total breakdown of the nuclear family and law and order?" he said. "Will we ever see a return to a more peaceful and gentler Ireland? I don't think so." He was reminded of WB Yeats' The Second Coming. ("Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.")
Wednesday's Lunchtimeinvited Mary O'Rourke to muse on John O'Donoghue's extravagant expenses when he was Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism. (O'Donoghue has thus far maintained a silence.) In relation to bringing along his wife on trips, O'Rourke said generously, "I just think there are people who are complete as a couple and they do their job better that way." But unlike Mary Harney, O'Rourke said she wouldn't dream of billing the taxpayer for hairdressing expenses. "I just have a good lump of hair on my head," she said, "it sort of does me."
Meanwhile, as the summer winds to a close, familiar voices are returning to Montrose. Aside from the ludicrous decision to give Miriam O'Callaghan a Saturday morning radio chat show – despite the fact that she was already doing a summer talk show on RTÉ Television on Saturday nights – and Dave Fanning replacing Ryan Tubridy when he has a show all of his own, RTÉ has been giving other talent more time to breathe. Philip Boucher Hayes has been doing just dandy on Drivetimewhile Mary Wilson is away during August and young gun Vincent Murphy made a promising debut as a co-presenter on Morning Ireland.
Gavin Jennings is filling in for Sean O'Rourke on News At One(RTE Radio One, weekdays). On Wednesday, he played the YouTube recording of Michael Jackson's personal physician Dr Conrad Murray, who remains the prime suspect in the investigation of the singer's death. "Your messages give me strength and courage and keep me going," Murray said.
“They mean the world to me. Please, don’t worry. As long as I keep God in my heart and you in my life I will be fine.”
This was a strange sentiment from a doctor whose former patient has yet to be even laid to rest. “I have faith that the truth will prevail,” Murray added. I’ll second that.