McDowell tells crime ‘prattlers’ to help the State

PEOPLE who complain about crime should get off their backsides and do something about it, Justice Minister Michael McDowell has challenged.

The Minister said Irish people were very good at prattling on about their rights when it came to crime, but were not so keen to joint the fight against it.

He commended the volunteers around the country who worked with young offenders programmes, and said they were fine examples of patriots displaying their loyalty to the Republic.

He contrasted their selflessness with the reaction of crowds of people who witnessed a vicious assault on an on-duty fireman in the Dublin suburb of Fairview, a few weeks ago, but failed to come forward to help Gardaí apprehend the culprit.

“It’s the duty of every citizen in the Republic not just to prattle on about their rights but to come forward and help the Garda Síochána to prosecute those responsible for the crimes they complain of,” Mr McDowell said. “Don’t sit and complain. Get out and help.”

The minister admitted, however, that despite what he said were “record resources” for the Gardaí, little had changed in the nature of gangland activities in the ten years since crime journalist Veronica Guerin was murdered.

“I don’t accept that things are better or worse. I think that Gilligan was equally ruthless 10 years ago. One of the things that has been noticed is that the degree of structure, the Mr Bigs, has been cut down, but they are equally savage and equally ruthless with each other. Nobody should be under any illusion in relation to that.”

Mr McDowell was speaking at the launch of new-look Probation Service which has a beefed up senior management layer and a commitment to closer co-operation with the Gardaí, Courts Service and Prison Service.

Vivian Geiran, one of three new deputy directors, said greater emphasis would be placed on identifying which offenders could be managed in the community and how.

“Our assessments are increasingly focused on establishing as accurately as possible the level of reoffending risk,” he said.

A key component of the service will be a Young Persons Probation Division which will oversee measures aimed at keeping young offenders out of prison.