Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

I know that — I would never accuse the Ceann Comhairle of bias.

On the Government's legislative programme with regard to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Charles Flanagan informs me the programme has 49 elements so the Department cannot be accused of lack of activity. Will the Minister for Health and Children indicate where the priorities lie in the wake of yesterday's figures which show gangland crime is getting the upper hand? Murders have increased by 28%, murder threats by 73% and drug offences by 31%. We need to see where are the priorities. Several times we were told we had a watershed. If I had a penny for every time we were told a watershed killing had occurred and that things would utterly change——

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