DOWN the years, Drapier and some of his more experienced colleagues have come to learn that rushed legislation ultimately tends to cause unforeseen difficulties. Drapier wonders will this week's Dail debate on crime have grave consequences in the future?
Readers will remember that in the immediate aftermath of Veronica Guerin's murder, the Taoiseach's main response was to declare July 25th as a day for a debate on crime. He was criticised from within and outside his party for the paucity of his Government's ideas. This was compounded by the fact that Fianna "Fail produced "out of the hat" their Organised Crime Bill.
The Government has made up for it, at least in press releases, since. The various Government Departments must have been working overnight for the last few weeks to keep up with the many promises. Twenty four hours before the Dail debate we read in the papers that the Government intended to bring forward two pieces of legislation, one dealing with efforts to get solicitors, accountants and other agents to disclose certain financial information and the other which proposed a new "super agency" to pull the Garda, the Revenue Commissioners and Social Welfare together in the fight against crime. Drapier feels that not only is it unfair to ask members to discuss pieces of legislation hot off the presses" but it is also extremely questionable from a constitutional point of view that pieces of legislation can be rushed through in this way.
All in all, the Government took its time in bringing forward these provisions. The fact that it created last Thursday's deadline brought urgency to its response but so did the fact that they were caught having to accept the Fianna Fail Organised Crime Bill. It would have been most embarrassing if the only provision being discussed last Thursday had been the Fianna Fail Bill. So the Government felt it necessary to fill last Thursday's agenda with as many other promises as possible to "crowd out" the Opposition's Bill. But the general feeling among most parties is that the acceptance by the Government of the Fianna Fail Bill was a coup for the main Opposition party.
WHILE flowers which had been put outside Leinster House after Veronica Guerin's death have been taken away (some people would say too quickly, but according to the security officials they posed security difficulties) the resolve of the Oireachtas to deal effectively with crime is beyond doubt. Drapier has heard a number of radical proposals from some of his colleagues which would send the human right's brigade apoplectic.
One such proposal referred to the need for "boot camps". Inmates in these proposed boot camps are required to partake in an intensive schedule of training education, work and physical activity. Apparently, a boot camp is where offenders are obliged to go through a tough military style regime involving hard labour. No soft furnishings and satellite TV for them. However, Drapier doubts if any of his ministerial colleagues would bite this bullet. While the public feeling in favour of tough crime measures is great politicians do not underestimate the "do gooders" lobby.
It was reported from Government sources after Veronica Guerin's murder that the Government had intended to "drip feed" over the summer for public consumption, their various proposals on crime. Apparently, this was to give the impression that they were continually "doing something about crime". That concept has been thrown to the wind in the aftermath of recent events. Is it any wonder the general public is cynical.
When will politicians learn? Drapier laughed when he read reports of how Ian Paisley and David Trimble apparently were taped speaking on their mobile phones during the Drumcree battle. The last few years are littered with politicians being eaves dropped while on their mobile phones. Even the British Royal Family have come a cropper in this regard. Another politician who got into difficulty with the telephone recently was Fine Gael Senator John Farrelly who valiantly hopes to take back the lost
Fine Gael seat in Co Meath (particularly now that they have a Taoiseach in the constituency).
According to reports, he was identified" by Mary Harney on an FM 104 radio talk show, when he rang up, as a "caller", to question Mary Harney who was being interviewed on crime. Drapier would have thought that John would have been somewhat more careful to make sure that everyone knew who he was, particularly in view of his desire to reclaim his Dail seat. Senator John's difficulty reminds Drapier about the incident some years ago when Minister of State Gay Mitchell's spouse was similarly fingered by another listener (albeit a Fine Gael colleague) when she telephoned in to defend the hubby's record. Drapier would remind colleagues be careful of the phone, the mobile phone and the phone in.
LIKE the rest of the country there was much joy over the victory of Michelle Smith. Unfortunately, we have had to put up with the usual snide remarks about "politicians claiming credit". And we even have some suggestions that our leading politicians should not he there to greet Michelle on her return to these shores. Suggestions like the latter show a complete misunderstanding as to why people like Charlie Haughey, Albert Reynolds and John Bruton turn up to these events. I heir very presence, in effect, makes a statement that they are representing the people.
Where some of the general public may find issue with the politicians is on the question of a 50 metre pool in the country. A good question you may ask. From Drapier's information this suggestion has been looked at by this and previous Governments. All felt a 50 metre pool of the type which would suit the Michelle Smiths of this world, would end up being uneconomical mainly because such a pool would only suit a handful. Experience in Britain has proved this. On top of that, the spending of £20 to £25 million on such a pool would mean that other areas would suffer. Politicians over the years of all parties, when in Government, have tended to spread the money around as widely as possible, some people would cynically say, in order to spread their largesse far and wide, others would say in order to help as many people as possible in the area of sport. Minister for Sport Bernard Allen is on record as stating that to build a pool would leave him with no money to spend on other areas of sport for three to four years. If that was the case, there would be plenty of screaming.
Others find fault with the fact that the National Lottery is used for a myriad of other areas such as health, social welfare and arts and culture but the fact is that if the voluntary groups in those areas were not so assisted their excellent and much appreciated work would probably fall by the wayside. All in all, the prospect of a 50 metre pool, despite the best intentions, looks pretty remote.