Seanad Éireann - Volume 110 - 20 November, 1985 - Report on Prison Reform: Motion.

Seanad Éireann - Volume 110 - 20 November, 1985 - Report on Prison Reform: Motion.: "I recall the establishment of the Whitaker Committee. On that occasion I recall, as a member of the MacBride Committee of Inquiry into the Penal System in Ireland, criticising the narrowness of the terms of reference particularly the omission from the terms of reference of the "CAUSES OF CRIME"?WHILE IM DELIGHTED TO SEE THE PUBLICATION OF JUDGE MICHAEL REILLYS PRISON REPORT,MY CONCERN WOULD BE THAT HIS PREDECSSOR THE LATE JUDGE DERMOT KINLEN'S RECOMMENDATIONS WERE IGNORED.JUDGE KINLEN TOLD IT AS IT IS NOT"WAS"WHEN HE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE WAY HE WAS TREATED BY THE MANDRINS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF "JUSTICE?"HE WAS RIGHT TO FLAG THE NEED FOR EXTERNAL EXPERTS TO SEE HOW THE DEPARTMENTS BUDGET WAS AND IS BEEN SPENT.ITS NO GOOD MAKING SUGGESTIONS,RECOMMENDATIONS,IN RELATION TO INHUMAN AND DEGRADING TREATMENT IN IRISH PRISONS IF NOTHING IS GOING TO BE DONE ABOUT IT.YOUR SENT TO PRISON AS A PUNISHMENT NOT FOR PUNISHMENT.SO WHAT IS THE "TRUE"CAUSE OF CRIME?THE ONES WHO GET PAID FOR TACKLING CRIME COULDNT CARE LESS.[AS EXPLAINED ON PUBLIC INQUIRY]IRISH CORRUPTION.THERE IS A STORY IN THIS MONTHS PHOENIX ENTITLED AN OPEN WAR BETWEEN THE DUBLIN AIRPORT "JOEYS"AND MEMBERS OF AN GARDA SIOCHANA,ITS TO DO WITH POWER AND PRESTIGE.THE SAME THING HAPPENED WITH THE PRISONERS RIGHTS ORGANISATION, JESUITS, AND SEAN McBRIDE, WHEN THE COMMISSION THEY FORMED TO INVESTIGATE PRISON CONDITIONS WAS SNUBBED BY THE POWERS "THAT BE"?THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO JUDGE KINLEN.WHY?IS THERE SOMETHING TO HIDE?THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS A CERTAIN GROUP IN IRISH SOCIETY DONT WANT TO SHARE WITH ANYBODY ONLY THEIR OWN AND ARE SO SECRETIVE THEY COULD BE CLASSED AS A "SECRET SOCIETY"THE EVIDENCE IS THERE TO BE RESEARCHED.IF THERE WERE "HONEST"EXTERNAL EXPERTS YOU WOULD NOT HAVE A NEED FOR"NAMA"NOR WOULD SEAN FITZPATRICK AND HIS CRONIES HAVE SET THE SCENE FOR AN BOARD SNIP"
CRIME AND ITS CAUSES IS AN"EQUALITY"MATTER ALWAYS WAS ALWAYS WILL BE.