Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

While I have acknowledged some of the difficulties it is entirely wrong for any Member, not least Deputy Rabbitte, to try to portray this or any other city as a lawless zone because that is totally untrue. This city has the third highest number of tourists in Europe. All the research carried out shows it is a safe city. I acknowledge there are pockets in my constituency and in that of the Deputy. For crimes against the person the detection rate is very good but when the crimes are against property the detection rate is not as good. I acknowledge that.

We will have 14,000 gardaí shortly. We have a number of dedicated specialist units. The highest amount of resources in the history of the State are being given to the Garda. It has a substantial capital programme — resources it has never had — to deal with technology and other issues. Its training is acknowledged internationally as being second to very few. To give the impression that in some way this is a lawless country is not correct. I have acknowledged that any crime is a bad thing. Though perhaps the number is not as high as it was many years ago, unfortunately too many people are involved in drug-related crime. There is also a bad and sinister element in society which shoots each other, even friends of people, and shoots others also. I do not deny any of those things. Let us not try to portray that the 12,500 gardaí are not doing their best to deal with crime.

In regard to the Criminal Justice Bill the Minister has already said he will have it recommitted. Effectively this will be a Second Stage debate to deal with the amendments. We all know it will help the Garda in crime detection. I have also said that the Minister has asked the Garda Commissioner, and I understand the Deputy Commissioner, Fachtna Murphy, is undertaking an examination of that issue, to ascertain what more they can do by way of procedures to improve their lot. With a far bigger population the level of crime, in international and national comparison, is down. The level is still too high because we do not want to see a society with any crime, particularly when there is close to full employment. Some 20 years ago unemployment and social disadvantage was given as the reason for high rates of crime. That argument is gone.

See this speech in context