Street violence 'a serious cause for concern'-Ahern

The Taoiseach expressed the Government's "grief and sadness" at the stabbing to death of teenager Alan Higgins in Coolock, Dublin, and said there was "no denying" that such attacks had become more prevalent.

He said such unprovoked attacks were not confined to late at night or the early hours of the morning, and the prevalence of such attacks was a "serious cause for concern".

Mr Ahern pointed out, however, that he was "less convinced" that new legislation alone was the means to deal with the issue of such unprovoked violence.

Innovative public order legislation had already been introduced. There were targeted Garda operations, extensions of closed-circuit television monitoring and strict enforcement of licensing legislation.

Labour's deputy leader, Mr Brendan Howlin, said he believed street violence was "now the most urgent issue on the criminal justice agenda".

The Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, who raised the issue and expressed his condolences, said the Government appeared to be out of touch with what was happening on the streets and "with the concerns and frustrations of parents".

Later, on the adjournment of the Dail, Mr Pat Rabbitte (Lab, Dublin South West) accused the Government of complacently presiding over "a more violent society where the cheapening of human life is a regular experience".

The Government's original intention to spend almost €1 billion on an elite stadium, rather than a fraction of that amount on sports facilities for communities, was a sign of how "out of touch" the Government was.

Mr Rabbitte said the "casual wanton regular violence on our streets is a symptom of a sick and divided society where either the law or its enforcement is inadequate".

If the "alienation of sections of our youth from normal society is reflected in the casual unlawful killing of a neighbouring teenager, then the challenge facing government goes beyond renovation of the criminal law".