Labour backs anti-social behaviour orders

The Labour Party has backed the introduction of anti-social behaviour orders, but only as a last resort, party leader Pat Rabbitte said yesterday.

He said "recalcitrant youths, out of control, acting with menace" ought to be subjected to anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) if necessary.

"ASBOs, I think, are relevant in circumstances where it simply is not feasible to deal with some of the serious anti-social behaviour being committed by youths, out of control, acting with menace, in communities," Mr Rabbitte said.

Minister for Justice Michael McDowell plans to introduce ASBOs before the end of the year. They were introduced in 1998 in Britain and direct an offender to desist from specific anti-social acts. Breaching an ASBO is a crime.

Labour Party justice spokesman Joe Costello said the use of ASBOs should be reviewed after two years to ensure that civil liberties were protected.

However, the Children's Rights Alliance yesterday warned that ASBOs would undermine children's rights.

"They are civil orders which require a lower standard of proof than criminal proceedings and can be based on hearsay evidence, but if you breach an ASBO you risk jail sentences," said Sarah Benson, Children's Rights Alliance spokeswoman and co-ordinator for the Coalition Against Anti-Social Behaviour Orders.

Mr Rabbitte announced his qualified support for ASBOs when he launched a Labour Party discussion paper on anti-social behaviour, Taking Back the Neighbourhood.

He said Labour TDs were inundated with stories of ordinary people living in fear and being victimised by young hooligans. Out-of-control youths were drinking in people's gardens, setting wheelie bins on fire, damaging property and vandalising public spaces.

"We have to deal with circumstances where senior citizens are prisoners in their own homes, afraid to go out to buy a pint of milk or go to the post office," he said.

The Labour Party document calls for better resources for community policing, the probation and welfare services and the Garda juvenile liaison scheme.

Mr Rabbitte said only 86 gardaí and eight sergeants were operating the juvenile liaison scheme while 73 were attached to the ministerial driving pool.

A spokesman for the Minister said many of the issues raised by Mr Rabbitte were already being addressed. The community policing budget, excluding salaries, was €2.75 million for this year.