Why does it take a horrific crime to shake this Government out of its lethargy? Nearly a year has passed since the Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, spoke about the emergence of a gun culture in Dublin. He identified lengthy mandatory jail sentences and the introduction of a weapons amnesty as means of counteracting it. But changes agreed by the Government to the Criminal Justice Bill last November have not been published. And the legislation is awaiting debate in the Dáil.
The almost-casual killing of a young woman who "just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time", according to the Garda, was a dreadful event. Twenty-two-year-old Donna Cleary was shot dead while attending a party in a north Dublin suburb at the weekend after a number of men, who had earlier been refused entry to the house where the party was being held, returned and opened fire in a totally indiscriminate fashion. Her family deserves great public sympathy. But her death should act as a wake-up call for us all on the need to address the increasing violence of our society and the availability of illegal weapons.
Legislation, of itself, would probably not have saved Donna Cleary's life. The weapon that killed her might not have been surrendered in a gun amnesty. But the imposition of mandatory jail sentences for the possession and use of firearms could have had an impact on the reckless attitudes of the men who tried to gatecrash the party, who then went away, secured the weapon, brought it to the house and pulled the trigger. As with all crimes, the threat of being caught and punished is the only effective deterrent.
It would be wrong to suggest that Mr McDowell and the Garda have ignored gun crimes. A great deal of effort and money has been expended in the surveillance and prosecution of Dublin-based drug gangs that engaged in murderous feuds last year. Weapons have been seized and criminals jailed. In spite of that, the drugs trade has grown and, countrywide, is now estimated to be worth more than a billion euro. Guns have been imported along with drug consignments. And new gangs have access to a growing arsenal.
The Minister has had a tendency to deflect criticism by identifying the responsibility of others. He has spoken of the need for judges to impose mandatory sentences of at least five years for the possession and use of firearms. But while the sentencing role of judges is an important one, it is one element of many and may be dealt with through judicial training.
However the Minister should pass the necessary legislation before he lectures anyone on how it might be implemented. As things stand, the Bill before the Dáil has been so amended - without debate - during the past six months that it is almost bound to attract political opposition. That is not the way to do business. There is a deadly serious problem to be addressed.