THE Government and Opposition parties have put forward a raft of anti crime measures recently which appear to have had little impact on the scale of the problem.
The main proposals from Government were contained in the anti drugs package unveiled by the Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, in July 1995. Billed as the first ever multi agency, multi-faceted approach to fighting drugs, the plan aimed to tackle drug trafficking and abuse.
Among other things, it established a Garda National Drugs Unit under the control of a Deputy Commissioner. It was subsequently decided that a review should take place between the Garda and the Revenue Commissioners on certain recommendations of the Law Reform Commission to enhance co operation between the two bodies.
This review has taken place and a report has been submitted to the Government but "some outstanding matters need resolution and the review has been widened to include the Departments of Justice, Finance, Social Welfare and the Attorney General". They are to report back to Government by July 18th next.
Meanwhile, the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Bill which covers the detention for questioning of drug traffickers for up to seven days, has just completed Committee Stage in the Dail and the Report Stage begins on Tuesday.
Other legislation deemed to be extremely necessary was the Courts and Court Officers Act 1995 which paved the way for administrative and procedural reform to simplify and expedite the processing of cases. The Act provided for the appointment of additional judges and, last January, the Minister for Justice obtained Cabinet approval for the appointment of 15 additional judges.
Mrs Owen's original plans for a prison at Castlerea were ruled out on budgetary grounds last year but, in January 1996, she tried to retrieve the situation with the announcement of Government approval for the provision of 278 additional places this year and in the first half of 1997. According to the Department, the implementation of the plan for additional spaces is "progressing satisfactorily".
The first 33 extra places have been brought into use in St Patrick's Institution. The provision of additional places at the Curragh and stage one of Castlerea Prison are "proceeding to plan and it is the Minister's intention that prisoners will be in these two new prisons within a few months". Planning for the new women's prison is also reported by the Department to be "advancing rapidly".
Other anti crime measures include the provision of £50,000 to expand Community Alert services - a response to attacks on the elderly in rural areas. Preparation is under way within the Justice Department on a paper to deal with crime in all its aspects.
Fianna Fail, meanwhile, in the wake of the Brink's Allied robbery in 1995, introduced the Proceeds of Crime Bill to allow gardai greater powers to freeze suspect money in the course of their investigations. The party also produced proposals dealing with changes to the bail laws.
In April, the party's justice spokesman, Mr John O'Donoghue, tabled an amendment to the Drug Trafficking Bill providing for a minimum 10 year sentence for drug pushers convicted of possessing drugs with a street value of £10,000 or more.
The Progressive Democrats also produced anti crime measures, including a Bill dealing with bail abuse, controls on the right to silence in certain cases, reform of prison laws and sentencing, and a clamp down on the so called "revolving door system".