Minister warns of violence and thuggery from 'drink culture'

The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has expressed concern about the implications of "a drink culture for public order and civil society".

Mr McDowell, in his first Dáil speech as a minister, said that wanton violence, thuggery and destructiveness were increasingly obvious symptoms of a decline in public order.

"These further affect victims and potential victims; they undermine our collective sense of security; they decrease our sense of freedom from fear; they degrade our amenity of life, especially in urban areas.

"Indeed, one of the most disturbing developments in recent years is the mindless but vicious behaviour of young men who carry out random 'run-by' assaults consisting of a blow to the face of completely innocent and inoffensive strangers.

"Such offences are hard to prosecute, but I would hope that any proven case will be regarded by all concerned with appropriate gravity.

"I am not a latter-day puritan or killjoy, either in outlook or in habit. But I am clear about the need for responsibility in this matter. Purveyors and consumers of alcohol are responsible under the law for the consequences of excessive consumption."

Mr McDowell said punishment and sentencing were the functions of the judicial arm of the State. "While we would not expect the judiciary to regard imprisonment as a first resort for offenders who cause disorder while drunk, it may be that a judicious combination of immediate substantial fines, coupled with a deferment of the issue of custodial sentences, could be part of an effective strategy to curb public order offences, especially in the case of first offenders.

"There is no greater incentive towards good behaviour than having the issue of a possible custodial sentence deferred in order to assess the capacity of a convicted public order offender to adjust his or her social behaviour to comply with decent norms."

In that context, said Mr McDowell, he would be considering the possibility of providing a statutory basis for sentencing principles and guidelines.

The Minister was introducing the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Bill, which was first introduced in April by his predecessor, Mr John O'Donoghue.

The Fine Gael spokesman on justice, equality and law reform, Mr John Deasy, said that the Bill ignored the root cause of public disorder, alcohol abuse.

"It is mentioned in the front page of the explanatory memorandum, but it is not addressed thereafter. The Bill is out of touch with the needs of the country. Given what is happening, it almost amounts to 'Mickey Mouse' legislation."