The Labour Party leader has called for a local version of the Criminal Assets Bureau to target low-level drug dealers in communities.
Brendan Howlin was answering questions for the latest leaders’ edition of ‘Your Call’ on Newstalk Breakfast this morning.
He described reports that Garda lives are being put at risk due to a lack of resources for armed units as “shocking” and said Labour would push for a community-level CAB unit.
“One of the things that drives people mad is people walking around on the street, youngsters sometimes now, with thousands of Euros of stuff and no visible means of getting it,” he said.
“Just as we dealt with the big guys with massive money, we have to deal with the smaller people and CAB can do that. A local CAB – that has not really been done.”
Grooming
He said his party would also look to introduce strict new laws against the grooming of children into the illegal drugs trade.
“We outlawed the grooming of children for crime as a specific crime,” he said.
“We need to do the same for the grooming of children as drug mules or drug pushers - with very stiff penalties.
“If you look at the model we used in terms of the sexual exploitation of children it is 14 years in jail.
“Why not 14 years in jail for recruiting youngsters into this criminal activity? We have seen how it ends. It ends despicably and awfully. We need to outlaw that.”
It's time to have YOUR say!@labour leader @BrendanHowlin joins @BreakfastNT
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Your Call
Deputy Howlin answered a host queries from listeners on the show this morning on everything from regional employment and the treatment of dogs in the greyhound industry to a potential left wing coalition featuring Sinn Féin.
He said Labour would push for a four-day working week and for workers in the public sector to be allowed to work remotely in order to cut down on traffic disruption and reduce carbon emissions – and noted that Labour has published policies on both ideas.
Four-day working week
He said the private sector should be encouraged to follow suit.
“We don’t all have to go in on the same motorway at the same hour anymore,” he said. “Technology allows us to work flexibly and work from home.”
He said Labour is “calling for hubs in smaller towns for companies that want to work remotely but don’t have a base.”
Asked about a four-day working week he said: “Yes. It sounds fanciful but where that has been tried productivity has increased dramatically.”
“If you look at the rostering of the way we do things now a lot of people use up the time. They are there clocking in but they are not actually producing the product for their employer – ‘here and present, tick me in.’
“That is crazy in the modern world where the opportunity to spend quality time with your own family is so important.
“We have a very clear policy platform to achieve that – and it is not pie in the sky.”
Last week Green Party leader Eamon Ryan joined Newstalk Breakfast for the first episode of the leaders’ edition of ‘Your Call.’
You can listen back to the full interview here:
