Mayo TD wants tougher sentences to protect children from criminal exploitation

Mayo TD Paul Lawless has warned of the growing crisis of children being exploited by drug dealers and called for urgent government action to tackle the problem.

Speaking in the Dáil, Deputy Lawless highlighted the devastating impact of drug gangs recruiting vulnerable children into crime and condemned the government’s recent decision to reduce sentences for adults who manipulate minors into illegal activity.

"This is child trafficking," Deputy Lawless stated. "Drug dealers are deliberately getting young people addicted to drugs, forcing them into criminal activity to pay off debts. Their lives are being destroyed before they even have a chance to get started."

Children in state care are particularly vulnerable, he warned, and the failures of the care system are leaving them at greater risk of being preyed upon by criminals. Instead of protecting them, the government’s response has been to weaken sentencing laws.

Deputy Lawless also highlighted a disturbing trend in his own constituency, where drug debts are leading to the harassment of innocent families.

"I've seen cases where young people emigrate without paying off their drug debts, and the dealers then go after their parents and grandparents, demanding money with threats and intimidation. I know of one case where the individual’s aunt and uncle faced intimidation and threats to repay the debt.”

He warned that without immediate action, more and more children will be lost to crime.

"What is their life expectancy? How many of them will end up in prison? If we don’t intervene now, we are condemning these children to a life of crime, addiction, and violence."

Aontú is calling for harsher sentences for adults who recruit children into criminal activity, stronger protections for children in state care to prevent exploitation, tougher penalties for drug dealers who target vulnerable families, and community-based interventions to support at-risk youth before they fall into crime.

"Tackling child trafficking must be a priority," said Deputy Lawless. "We cannot allow a generation of young people to be lost to crime."