THE ardfheis narrowly accepted a resolution which called for legislation to "restrict" the right to silence.
Two Dublin delegates took opposing sides in the debate. They were the only speakers on the issue and they spoke in the absence of the Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, who had to leave early.
The TD who chaired the session, Mr Charles Flanagan, said the Minister was not opposed in principle to the idea but was developing her own proposals, following consultation with the Law Reform Commission, and would be publishing them shortly.
Mr Roger McGinley, who proposed the resolution, said retaining the right to silence meant some criminals would evade prosecution. Innocent people would always be pleased to speak in their own defence and there was widespread public support for a change in the law.
Mr Niall Atkins said silence was not so much a right in itself - it was a right for accused people to postpone speaking until they had a chance to consult a solicitor, so they did not incriminate themselves.
Rural delegates called for an end to the closure of rural Garda stations. Mr Robert Shannon (Bantry, Co Cork) said the best way to monitor local events was to have a local garda. He asked, how could one garda be responsible for 270 miles of coastline, with 14 harbours. That was the situation in one part of Co Cork.
Mrs Owen said the stations were not being closed but had their opening times changed.
She was, however, reviewing the whole question of rural policing. Proposals had been put to her and she was examining them.
She said it was clear that a large proportion of crime was drug related. The sheer viciousness of much of today's crime had its roots in drugs. For that reason she had directed a major assault on drug trafficking with the antidrugs package she announced last July.
"I have brought this sense of urgency to the drugs problem because everything we can do to stem the tide will have lasting benefits," she said.
The underlying causes of crime must be examined. "A civilised society should be able to live in peace and not depend on firefighting exercises."
We would fail if we did not take steps now to discourage today's 8 year olds from becoming tomorrow's 18 year old offenders. Criminal justice policy was interwoven with education, health, housing, social welfare, taxation and the elimination of deprivation.
Referring to her proposal to set up a crime council, she said it was unrealistic to say crime was a matter solely for the Department of Justice. "We can all see that there are many other Departments and agencies that should be involved."