Crime strategy gets under way

The following is an edited version of the Government statement issued after yesterday's Cabinet meeting:

The following is an edited version of the Government statement issued after yesterday's Cabinet meeting:

THE Government yesterday announced the appointment of Mr Michael Patrick Byrne as the new Commissioner of the Garda", Siochana and Mr Noel Conroy, currently Assistant Commissioner, to replace Mr Byrne as Deputy Commissioner.

The Government has also nominated a new High Court judge and nine new Circuit Court judges. Mrs Diarmuid O'Donovan SC, has been nominated to the High Court, and the following are to be Circuit Court judges: Mr Anthony Kennedy SC; Mr Kevin Haugh SC; Mr John Buckley, solicitor; Mr Raymond Groarke, barrister; Ms Alison Lindsay, barrister; Ms Elizabeth Dunne, barrister; Mr Frank O'Donnell, solicitor; Mr Michael White, solicitor, and Ms Olive Buttimer, barrister.

A special steering group has been set up to review efficiency and cost effectiveness of the Garda Siochana. The chairman will be Mr AD Barry, CRH plc, and the members are Ms Catherine Treacy, registrar, Land Registry; Mr Kevin Duffy, ICTU; Mr Tim Dalton, Secretary, Department of Justice; Mr Patrick Byrne Garda Commissioner designate; Mr Dermot Nally, former Secretary to the Government; Mr Barry Galvin, State Solicitor, Cork City; Mr John Timoney, former Deputy Commissioner, New York Police Department; Mr Jim McCaffrey, Assistant Secretary, Department of Finance.

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The group is expected to report back to the Government at the earliest opportunity and not later than December, 1996. It will engage consultants with relevant international expertise to assist in its work.

The Government also approved several measures to deal with the housing aspects of the drugs problem which were proposed by the Minister for the Environment, Mr Howlin. They will seek to speed up procedures in relation to evictions for anti-social behaviour. It "will be done in consultation with the President of the District Court, amendments to District Court Rules and a request for separate District Court sittings.

There will be barring orders in cases of anti-social behaviour by a member of a household in a local authority dwelling; a housing authority may refuse to house an applicant on grounds of anti-social behaviour. It will be at the discretion of health boards to refuse or withdraw SWA housing assistance on grounds of anti-social behaviour.

There will be provision for the exchange of information on housing applicants and beneficiaries between housing authorities and to other public authorities. Summary procedures will be used to deal with squatting in local authority dwellings by anti-social elements.

A special Bill to provide for all these measures will be drafted and presented to the Dail as soon as possible. Anti-social behaviour will be carefully defined 50 as to focus especially on drug pushing and related activity.

A Ministerial Task Force on measures to reduce demand for drugs is to be created recent Government decisions in regard to crime as well as earlier decisions and actions taken by the Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, have focused mainly on restricting the supply of drugs.

The Government statement adds: "As has already been recognised, particularly in decisions taken and announced in February, 1996, by the Minister for Health, Mr Noonan, a comprehensive drugs policy requires that equal attention be focused on reducing the demand for drugs. This is done through targeting individuals who are currently abusing drugs or at risk of doing so and also in terms of broader preventative strategies in areas where drug abuse is prevalent."

The setting up of a Ministerial Task Force to review the present arrangements for a co-ordinated approach in relation to demand, reduction and, in light of that review, to identify Governmental action changes or additional measures needed to provide a more effective response.

The Task Force will be set up immediately under the chairmanship of Mr Pat Rabbitte TD, Minister of State to the Government. Its members will be Ministers of State Austin Currie, Bernard Allen, Brian O'Shea, Bernard Durkan, Gay Mitchell and Liz McManus. Each minister will prepare a full report on the relevant actions being taken within his area of responsibility as follows: treatment services for addicts (O'Shea); education programmes bin schools (Allen); public and community education (O'Shea); services for children (Currie); youth and recreation facilities (Allen); employment and training initiatives (Rabbitte); income maintenance for those undergoing treatment and being released from prison (Durkan); local development initiatives and estate management (Mitchell and McManus).

The committee will also confirm the areas/communities where the drug problem is most acute and in respect of each area, each, Minister to indicate action taken or planned to reduce the demand for drugs.

As chairman of the task force, Mr Rabbitte will co-ordinate the preparation of an overall report to the Government by the end of September. Any additional decisions required will then be taken and allocated for implementation to the relevant Ministers/departments.

The Government statement said that the Minister for Justice briefed her colleagues on the work in progress on the Organised Crime Restraint and Disposal of Illicit Assets Bill. It is now expected that, following extensive amendments and re-drafting, the Bill will be taken by the Dail at Committee Stage on July 23rd, completed at the Dail sitting on July 25th and taken by the Seanad on July 26th.