McDowell vows to press ahead with public order plans

The Minister for Justice Michael McDowell vowed tonight to press on with plans to introduce anti-social behaviour orders.

The Minister for Justice Michael McDowell vowed tonight to press on with plans to introduce anti-social behaviour orders.

With more than 700 arrests made on St Patrick's Day for alcohol related offences Mr McDowell warned he was determined to use ASBO's to bring order to the streets.

Mr McDowell told the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors that officers had to be given the power to control nuisance neighbours and drunken gangs.

"Critics have claimed that these orders would needlessly criminalise those who engage in trivial and essentially harmless behaviour, but this is simply not the case," he said.

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"The orders will be civil orders, and the question of an offence will only arise if a person the subject of an order wilfully defies that order and continues to engage in the behaviour."

The Minister said the orders would effectively bind people over to keep the peace - the same power as a District Court judge would have. "Armchair critics of the proposal clearly have no idea of how the quality of life of decent, vulnerable, law-abiding citizens can be badly affected by the continuing anti-social behaviour of a bullying, abusive minority," he said.

"People should not have to put up with this, and gardai should have the power to deal with it."

Anti-social behaviour orders are due to be brought in with the Criminal Justice Bill 2004 to enhance the powers of the gardai in the investigation and prosecution of offences. The minister also told the 27th annual AGSI conference that it was a simple fact that the IRA remained the single biggest impediment to the full implementation of the Belfast.

"I do not believe that there could be any doubt where I stand on this issue. As a result I have been singled out for criticism from the Provisional movement and they even suggest that I in some way am obstructing the peace process," he said.

"That, of course, is to stand reality on its head." Mr McDowell went on, "Seven years after the Good Friday Agreement we still have a movement that robs banks and brazenly denies it; that pretends to protect communities while doing the exact opposite; and that responds to murder by threatening to shoot people.

"It really is an act of monumental self-delusion to think that the problem is caused by the people who point out these facts rather than the activities of the movement itself." Mr McDowell said the murder of Belfast man Robert McCartney reminded the people of Ireland of the true nature of the Provisional IRA.

But he said co-operation with the Police Service of Northern Ireland was now at an all time high, with protocols signed allowing for secondments and personnel exchanges between the forces. "The implementation of these protocols will provide a two-way flow of experience and expertise which will enhance policing standards in both organisations," he said.

PA