Things cannot continue as they are if we want to stop out-of-control crime
The Government has finally signalled its willingness to seriously consider how errant parents can be held responsible for their children’s flagrant crimes.
The proposal is far from new, and in the past posed more practical questions about how to put it into practice, than it offered realistic remedies.
But the recent road tragedies, leading to a strong suggestion of a large cohort of utterly out-of-control criminals, has considerably darkened the public mood.
The latest Ireland Thinks survey for the Irish Independent shows eight out of 10 people believe the Government is “too soft on crime” and that should change. Many coalition backbench TDs and senators are picking up this forceful message locally.
Welcome signals around looking at parental responsibilities have been accompanied by government pledges to also expand the number of youth detention places.
This is urgently needed as many errant young criminals see themselves as untouchable because there are no places where they can be contained.
Locking up anyone, especially youngsters, is best avoided. But in the present situation, it is clear that, sadly, more detention space is needed and must be provided as soon as possible.
Things cannot be allowed just drift on to another calamity like those which happened recently on the M50 and M9 motorways. All possible options must be considered.
It may finally be time to focus on the idea of parental responsibility. This must be seriously studied, and any obstacles to implementation need to be seen as impediments which can be overcome.