Govt measures to hold parents liable should be used
About six years ago, the then Minister for Children Brian Lenihan signed into law measures that would hold parents responsible for the crimes of their juvenile children. But it has emerged this week that such laws have never been used. According to the Court Service, there are no records of a parent(s) being arrested for not attending a hearing, as well as being told to control their child or being fined for an offence committed. This is unacceptable. Mr Lenihan introduced these measures (the Children Act 2001) because irresponsible parents were not controlling their delinquent children. Now we have a situation where many areas country-wide experience antisocial behaviour by pre-teens/juveniles who believe they are above the law and are confident their parents won"t have to face the courts and be fined. The Coalition partners last year agreed in a programme for government for a system of parental responsibility for criminal damage and costs incurred by victims of their children"s antisocial behaviour. There is nothing that exercises the minds of parents of reckless teens better than the prospect of forking out hefty fines for damage done by their children. But do District Court judges have any confidence in such measures? The powers are there for them to avail of so why hasn"t there been any action to date? As for children"s rights campaigners who place more emphasis on support for families with troubled children, think of the trouble such juveniles cause to decent people trying to live in peace in many crime-ridden, vandalised communities. Yes, support families who genuinely seek help and want to rehabilitate a son or daughter whose behaviour has their heart broken. But the families who are making no effort at all should be made accountable and if that means heavy fines, so be it. The Government, who also don"t do accountability very well, should address this issue. It is up to Minister for Health and Children Mary Harney to probe why there seems to be impunity given to juvenile delinquency. Ms Harney might not be able to sort out the Health Service, but surely she can explain why a law laid down six years ago has not been enacted. And she shouldn"t drag her feet on the Government"s plan to fund and develop a range of family support initiatives including the expansion of programmes to help teenage parents. We live in a blameless and, in some areas, shame-free culture where even honour in politics is rare. Some politicians seem to put more effort and time into lobbying on behalf of inmates convicted of murder or possession of drugs instead of protecting citizens from crime. However, as children are our future, abandoning control and parental responsibilities will result in a heavy price being paid for the next generation of damaged adults who, in turn, will mess up their offspring.