A study of drug dealing and organised crime in Dublin's south inner city has found that children as young as 12 years of age are being induced into gangs.
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The report is critical of the responses of voluntary and statutory agencies, including the Gardaí.
The Report identified two large criminal organisations with around 100 members
between them. It
outlines responses to community-based organised crime, including increases
in the number of outreach workers and community Gardaí. The
report was carried out by Dr Johnny Connolly from the University of Limerick
Centre for Crime, Justice and Victim Studies.
The Gardaí say their response is encompassed in their new Community Policing Strategy being rolled out across the country.
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Dr Connolly said a whole system approach needs to be undertaken in order to prevent young people being groomed by gangs.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, he said the vast majority of people in communities, where gangs operate, want to live safe and normal lives, but are disengaging from the policing and criminal justice system due to fear and a belief that the system is not bringing solutions to their problems.
The report examines the organisation, pervasiveness and impact
of organised crime gangs within communities in Dublin's south city.
It identifies 650 people with links to crime which it then pares
down to two major criminal networks of 44 and 52 members respectively.
The members are aged from 12 to 39.
The gangs, the report says, are "loosely
organised" along three levels; career criminals, street dealers and
children being groomed into criminality.
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Senior gang members are admired and younger people seek to
emulate them.
They use anti-social behaviour as a control mechanism and
organise confrontation with the gardaí to create "no go areas for
policing".
Even though they cause significant harm, the gangs only
represent a very small proportion of the community - 1.2%.
The report is critical of the responses of voluntary and
statutory agencies, including the Joint Policing Committees, the Local Policing
Fora and the gardaí and makes a range of recommendations.
Meanwhile, the Taoiseach has said that it is a matter of
"enormous concern" that children are involved with drug dealing
gangs.
Leo Varadkar said the Cabinet decided yesterday to support
Fianna Fáil legislation in relation to purchasing drugs from children or using
children to transport drugs.
He said while this was already illegal, the new legislation
being proposed by Deputy John Curran would strengthen the laws in this area.
He also said there is a joint agency response involving gardaí
and child protection agencies to deal with the issue.
Fianna Fáil has said the legislation will increase the sanctions
on people who buy drugs from under 18s.
Mr Curran said at present there was little sanction against
people buying from young people.
"We are bringing forward a bill to tackle the use of
children in drugs. I welcome the fact the Government supporting the bill,"
he said.
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Mr Curran said: "I'm hoping this legislation will be a
wake-up call. No longer can young vulnerable children be exploited."
113 Babies Born Addicted or Affected By Drugs In 2018
Hospitals recorded a baby born either addicted to or severely affected by alcohol or drugs 113 times last year. This represents one case every three days, which experts say includes a sharp rise in homeless pregnancy cases.
New figures obtained by RTÉ News under the Freedom of Information Act show the scale of Ireland's drug addiction problems and how it is affecting babies from birth.
According to the figures, which are the latest available, during 2018 hospitals across the country recorded 113 instances of a newborn baby being recorded as suffering from complications caused by their mother's substance misuse.
The 113 cases last year, which in some cases involve a baby born with multiple substance issues, include:
- 77 addicted to illegal drugs their mother was using
- 20 affected by illegal drugs
- less than five addicted to legal drugs
- nine affected by legal drugs
- and less than five affected by alcohol misuse
The official figures are almost evenly split between 53 cases in Dublin and 60 in the rest of the country, which is the only breakdown provided by the Health Service Executive in order to protect individual patients' identities.
They follow a similar trend over the past five years during which almost 600 cases have been recorded, including:
- 107 cases in 2017. This figure is split between 46 in Dublin and 61 in the rest of the country, and includes 79 cases of addiction to legal or illegal drugs, 27 cases of a baby being affected by legal or illegal drugs, and less than five cases of a baby born affected by alcohol misuse
- 119 in 2016.
This figure is split between 51 in Dublin and 68 in the rest of the country, and includes 95 cases of addiction to legal or illegal drugs, 27 cases of a baby being affected by legal or illegal drugs, and less than five cases of a baby born affected by alcohol misuse
- 113 in 2015. This figure is split between 62 in Dublin and 51 in the rest of the country, and includes 96 cases of addiction to legal or illegal drugs, 16 cases of a baby born affected by legal or illegal drugs, and eight cases of a baby born affected by alcohol misuse
- and 146 in 2014. This figure is split between 72 in Dublin and 74 in the rest of the country, and includes 100 cases of addiction to legal or illegal drugs, 48 cases of a baby born affected by legal or illegal drugs, and nine cases of a baby born affected by alcohol misuse
In all cases, the HSE said the figures relate to inpatient and day cases.
This means that as they do not include emergency admissions or outpatient attendances, the figures may underestimate the situation.
Although the overall annual trends remain similar, both treatment groups and leading doctors have warned they include a sharp rise in homeless pregnancy cases.
The Ashleigh Centre in Coolmine, which is Ireland's only dedicated drug addiction treatment centre for pregnant women and new mothers, said it saw up to 60 homeless women seek help in the first quarter of 2019, up from 30 over the same period last year.
Chief Executive Pauline McKeown and residential services manager Anita Harris also said they consistently keep at least five spaces at the centre free for pregnant women.
Dr Maeve Eogan of the Rotunda Hospital said the ongoing annual trend shows the issue is not being addressed.
She said she was aware of a spike in homeless pregnancy cases, and that while specialist nurses were in place in Dublin other positions are empty outside the capital.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Dr Eogan said the HSE recruitment embargo was having an adverse effect.
She said: "Those drug liaison midwives are the lynchpin of the service. They work between the maternity services and the addiction services. They coordinate the multi-discipline team.
"I believe some preparatory work has proceeded in Limerick and in Cork but unfortunately, because of the HSE embargo, those drug liaison midwives are not in place yet and that is a pity because as we can see, this is not just a Dublin problem, this is a national problem, and appropriate response can mitigate the risks."
In a statement, Minister for Children Katherine Zappone said she, the HSE and Tusla are deeply committed to mothers with addictions and their children.
Minister Zappone said the issue has been a constant focus for her department.
She added that Tusla social workers pay close attention to expectant mothers who are active drug users, with their health, their babies and risk factors regularly taken into account.
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