A TD for Dublin Central has said proposed new laws aimed at stopping criminals grooming children into a life of crime "won't work" unless backed by an anti-poverty strategy.
Earlier this week the Cabinet signed off on proposed legislation that could see criminals who are convicted of grooming children into a life of crime face up to five years in prison.
Speaking on RTÉ's Saturday with Colm Ó Mongáin, Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon said his constituency has had issues with drugs and children for over 40 years.
He said the grooming legislation is important but if it is not met with an anti-poverty strategy, intensive trauma-based recovery programmes, counselling, education and health-based responses that is resource heavy, "it's not going to work".
This is because the problems are complex and so embedded, he said.
Currently, there are no laws around adults who induce or coerce a child to engage in criminal activity.
Minister for Justice Simon Harris said that for the first time in Irish law, the Criminal Justice Engagement of Children in Criminal Activity Bill 2023 will recognise that there is an offence regarding the harm that can be done to a child by drawing them into a world of criminality.
"It will make it an offence for any adult to compel, coerce, direct or deceive a child for the purpose of engaging them in criminal activities," he said.
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Read more: Up to five years for those who groom children into crime
More resources needed
Belinda Nugent, Community Development Officer with the Inner City Organisations Network (ICON) has said more resources are needed in order to help children coming from an impoverished background being groomed into crime.
Although she welcomed the new Bill, she said children needed to be protected as well as families being enabled to come forward.
Children are being coerced into criminal activity from a young age, she said, and ICON is dealing with cases as low as ten years of age, but she is aware that it can go down to eight or nine years of age.
"It's a huge problem in the north inner city at the moment and there isn't the services and resources there to protect and help families," she said.
"If there's no food in the press and you’ve holes your shoes, seeing other children with these things, it becomes very attractive for a young child".
She pointed out that lot of these groomers were groomed as children themselves to this lifestyle and "we have to think of them too".
"We need to protect children and enable families to come forward but also have to think of teenagers in that once were that child," she said.
Ms Nugent added that there has been a lot of research done and money put into youth services that do "an amazing job", but the actual concept of grooming children, there is no services for anyone to link into directly.
Mr Gannon added that ICON is in an area that received millions from the inner city task force and still has issues.
"The drugs industry is massively profitable, not for the people who have their lives destroyed by it and while we continue a model of criminalisation of drugs, that stays profitable, and the destruction of lives continues to be recognised," he said.
Also speaking on RTÉ's Saturday with Colm Ó Mongáin, Fianna Fáil TD James Browne, Minister of State at the Department of Justice with responsibility for Law Reform said that Tusla, the Government child and family agency, pushed for the new legislation on the grooming of children for criminality, and he expects Tusla to treat the issue in the same way they would with any child reporting abuse or violence.
He added that youth diversion projects are also important.
Kathleen Funcheon, Sinn Féin TD for Carlow-Kilkenny and Party Spokesperson on Children, said she welcomes the new legislation, but would like to see sentences of ten years.
She said prevention was another part of the solution.
