Ms Laura Starnes:

I want to go back to what Senator Black referred to, namely, the models they have in the UK. A system called CESAR seems to be a fantastic system that is used in the UK and across Europe. It is a marking system that also acts as a deterrent. If, for example, something goes missing in Northern Ireland, it can easily be traced right across Europe as common scanners for the system are held by the police. The system has recently been introduced here. We have done a bit of work on it in that we have negotiated a deal with the company to apply discounts for our members so that it is more affordable for them to mark their vehicles. An Garda Síochána has welcomed the introduction of CESAR, but it requires extra resources, for example, additional technology for the Garda so the members have a scanner to read it. The system provides a deterrent and it has a tracker which it is hoped means people can recover items. The system is commonplace in the UK and across Europe but it is not something that we used here. I do not think we need to reinvent the wheel. The CESAR system works very well in the UK and it would assist here if we could have it.