Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

It is important that this House should have the opportunity to discuss the facts and consequences of last Friday's tiger kidnapping and bank heist, which resulted in the most substantial theft of cash in the history of the State. It is clear from the reports on this robbery that criminal gangs have the resources and manpower to mount the type of surveillance operation the Garda no longer can carry out due to the financial constraints and cuts imposed by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

The Garda is reported to be concerned at the volume and high grade of intelligence gathered on this occasion by the gang regarding the living arrangements of Mr. Travers and his colleagues and their role in Bank of Ireland. At the same time, the Garda is reported to be furious that surveillance on the chief suspects in this raid had to be withdrawn due to a lack of funding. Soon after the surveillance ceased, the raid took place and the surveillance was then reinstated, resulting in the arrest of some suspects and the recovery of a small amount of money. In early December 2008, gardaí foiled two major attempted heists in counties Clare and Dublin, one involving a planned tiger kidnapping, thanks to a surveillance operation.

The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is present in the House and I ask him whether he is satisfied that the Garda has the capacity to carry out surveillance on criminal gangs it suspects of being likely to carry out future raids and that effective Garda surveillance is the key to preventing such future raids. The ease with which this operation was carried out is disturbing. It will act as encouragement for others to follow suit. Members have been told the State's financial institutions are now looking at security procedures. At a hastily convened press conference after the event, the Minister stated this is happening. What has held them back thus far? How many tiger kidnappings have taken place in this State in the past 12 months? What is the Minister doing about the fact that Dublin is now the tiger kidnapping capital of the world? If he has the answer, he clearly is not engaged with the issue but is showing that his meeting with senior gardaí after the big heist is nothing but a charade. If the Minister knows the answer, and I seek the figure from him this evening, why has he taken no action until now? How often have representatives of the Garda Síochána or senior officials from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform met senior bankers in the past year in respect of security arrangements and similar matters? What contingency plans have been in place to deal with tiger kidnapping?

When this State was under threat and attack from terrorist organisations and the Provisional IRA in the 1970s and 1980s, it always held firm and did not buckle under pressure. What action is the Minister now taking, or does he propose to take, to disabuse criminal gangsters of the notion that tiger kidnapping is an easy way to obtain millions, such as the €7.8 million handed over by Bank of Ireland last weekend? The State and other financial institutions did not give in to terrorists in the past and it is essential they do not do so now. The Minister is not encouraging and I ask him to take appropriate action on this matter.

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