Mr. Noel Dunne:

We spoke earlier about Operation Táirge and what that is going to do for the top level. I suggest a similar project for our level, where members of the Garda would come and talk to retailers. Between us, we could develop something that would target this petty crime in a more organised fashion. What the Garda intends to do in respect of the top end of retail crime, gang crime and fencing and resale is excellent. Hopefully, in a couple of years' time, it will stop our perpetrators from moving into that zone. While we have the opportunity, can we have something similar directed primarily at shoplifters at the small end? By their very nature, retailers and staff would be more than willing to contribute to such an initiative. If there was a link between ourselves, the Garda, courts and CCTV experts, we could put a lid on this - or at least put a project in place to capture all of this - very quickly. In other words, if we can do something like what is being done at the top end. If everyone was communicating, we would have something that would cover the whole timeline of crime, so to speak.