It will, assuredly, be a bleak Easter weekend for the family, relatives and friends of those killed in the recent so called joyriding incidents. Four people have died within the past month; three young people in Cork, including two teenagers who were killed by a stolen car on St Patrick's night, while this week, a 71 year old mother of seven from Raheny, Dublin, died after been struck by a car driven at speed by a 15 year old.
The public's anguish about these deaths is acute and understandable as demonstrated by the thousands who attended the march in Cork yesterday supporting the ad hoc group, People Against Killer Riders. The recent vigilante attacks on the homes of alleged joyriders is another manifestation of this anger.
Those who died were killed in a random, reckless, away as they went about their daily lives; Stephen Kirby had gone to a local chip shop with a friend, Trevor O'Connell, while Mrs McGrath and her husband were returning home, after walking their dog at Dollymount.
There is frustration that a problem which many assumed had gone away, has re emerged to cause such carnage and suffering. But there is also a sense of hopelessness and no great confidence, that the problem will be given the kind of priority it deserves The muted political response to the recent tragedies is hardly encouraging.
That said, a series of similar tragedies over a decade ago did at least stir the then government to take resolute action. New legislation was introduced to specifically address the joyriding problem and a commitment was made to give the Garda the kind of resources it needed to resolve the problem. A decade on, it would appear that the legislation has failed to act as any kind of deterrent. The Garda, meanwhile, is only now being trained in the use of the stinger device aimed at halting stolen cars. Tougher legislation and the use of the best possible back up equipment by the Garda, would clearly help. But, there is also a responsibility on government to address the root of the problem.
In a dignified response to his mother's death, Mr Joe McGrath has suggested a better way. He has made an impassioned plea for proper Government support for recreational and sporting facilities for the young - especially in urban areas - as a means off diverting them from joyriding. It is a demand which will be supported by every parent, every Garda and every social worker. This State may like to take some pride in its new found status as the Celtic Tiger, but many young people continue to be denied the kind of recreational facilities which other European citizens take for granted.
The case for these kinds of facilities on health grounds is already obvious; the need to provide them in order to divert young people from joyriding and drug abuse provides an additional imperative. The public is looking to the Government for some long term vision in this area. Should they fail - as it has so clearly in respect of the drugs problem - the vigilantes will be ready to step into the breach.