Labour's policy on crime long on views and short on commitments

A MANIFESTO can be a statement of views, rather than a series of policies

A MANIFESTO can be a statement of views, rather than a series of policies. On the issue of crime, the Labour Party has clearly preferred the former definition. There are few new ideas - and even fewer commitments - in the crime pages of the document published by the party yesterday. Instead, the stress is more on crime prevention through tackling social and economic exclusion, a brave (and possibly ill-advised) approach in the middle of a general election.

One of the few eyecatching ideas in the document is for new part-time gardai to augment the existing force. Even here the level of commitment is weak: "There is a potentially important role for part-time policing at community level," the manifesto says.

Most policing issues are diverted towards one firm "proposal" for a Commission on Policing to "help forge a modern role for the police force". It would involve gardai and their civilian staff, community and voluntary groups, residents groups, "appropriate experts and other interested parties".

There is no suggestion the commission would have a direct influence on the State's policing policy although the party does say it wants a "wider debate on the changing role of the gardai".

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The manifesto says Labour "accept that more prison places are needed" and notes that the Whitaker report of the mid-1980s said 4,000 places would be needed by the mid-1990s, compared to the 3,250 which will be available after completion of the Government's current building programme.

The suggestion that the current building programme is inadequate is not developed, but the party does say it is "wary of arguments setting out the provision of more prison places as a panacea for our crime problem".

The Fianna Fail justice spokesman, Mr John O'Donoghue, said yesterday that the Labour leader, Mr Spring, had had a "Pauline conversion in the fight against crime, and in Government had led a party which had resisted many Fianna Fail initiatives - including an earlier prison building programme.

He described the proposal for part-time gardai as "a bob-a-job solution to a very serious issue" and said that under the current Government there had been insufficient recruitment of gardai, leading to a decline in the size of the force.

Other suggestions are for a court within Mountjoy Prison - such as is currently planned for Wheatfield - to reduce the risks involved in moving prisoners from jail to hearings. Again, there is little commitment: "Consideration should be given ...", the document says.

The party also suggests on-the-spot fines for late drinking in pubs (a real vote-winner) and unification of the State prosecution service, an idea already supported by most of those at senior levels in the system.

Labour also advocates speeding up the courts system - with a "fast-track" for drugs offences - and says it does not support mandatory sentencing for indictable offences excluding murder. It also says it supports more spending on technology for the Garda, a claim somewhat at odds with the limits placed on the force's technology budget during Labour's time in Government.

The party also suggests offenders should not have the option of going to jail rather than paying a fine. All fines levied on offenders should be collected through an "attachment of earnings" when the offender refuses to pay, it says.

The manifesto also says that "we will ensure that the next Government carefully examines the issue of ensuring victims rights to legal advice or representation in certain situations" - the sort of statement of commitment typical of the document.