Mr. Richard Kennedy:

I can tell the Deputy that there is no doubt in my mind and I am sure there is no doubt in the minds of the vast majority of our members that it is more unsafe to live in rural Ireland now than it was ten or 15 years ago and it has not improved. We can go through the figures but the bottom line is that people have given up reporting crime in many instances. I do not want to make it any worse than it is either and I am all for a constructive approach to improve the situation but I do not want to hear that it is improving. The attacks have become more violent and there is no question about that.