Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

I wish to ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform about the nature of the review he has sought on the matter of tiger kidnappings. Yesterday's event is the latest in what is an appalling ordeal for families to be put through. The sharp rise in tiger kidnappings in recent times is evidence of manifest failure in the criminal justice system. The most recent CSO statistics show that kidnappings increased by 86% in the third quarter of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008 and increased by 57% in the past 12 months. The State is clearly regarded as a soft touch when it comes to tiger kidnappings.

A delegation of senior gardaí and officials from the main banks met on 2 March this year to discuss protocols following a tiger kidnapping on 28 February that netted €7.6 million for raiders of Bank of Ireland on College Green. Following the raid, the Minister had a much-publicised meeting with the Garda Commissioner. Yesterday, as it has been on a number of occasions, the Bank of Ireland was targeted again. It is clearly considered something of a soft touch by those responsible and yesterday's raid was the fourth on a Bank of Ireland branch this year.

Following last week's raid, bank staff themselves called for a major review of bank security by the Government and Garda, as well as by the Bank of Ireland. I understand the Minister is to meet the Garda Commissioner tomorrow to discuss tiger kidnappings, a meeting which was planned before yesterday's raid. Has a limit been agreed in respect of how much money an employee can take out or handle in a bank? If not, the message to armed gangs is that tiger kidnappings are lucrative and rather easy to execute.

I ask the Minister to consider the issue of resources with particular reference to community gardaí. The raiders in these case have clearly put a watch on the victim's house before the kidnap. They had monitored their houses and the movements of officials and their families. There can be no doubt that the absence of community gardaí on the ground is helping raiders who stalk their victims in this way. How many gardaí are assigned to the Ballycallan district of Kilkenny, for example? At 6% of the force, there are simply not enough community gardaí working and living in communities. The €30 million cut in Garda overtime, the cap on Garda recruitment, the downgrading of rural stations and the brain drain from the senior echelons of the Garda force caused by large-scale retirement of senior officers is all combining to make life somewhat easier for criminals.

I ask in this short debate what has the Minister specifically done to address the problem of tiger kidnappings, apart from having a couple of meetings with the Garda Commissioner and bank figures? It has recently been reported that gardaí in the crime and security section at Garda Headquarters have been working on internal protocols to advise officers about dealing with tiger kidnappings for over a year, but I wonder have the guidelines yet been agreed, published and accepted. Have gardaí been given details of the agreed protocols between banks and Garda management on tiger raids? Some say they are investigating with one hand effectively tied behind their backs.

If an employee walks into the local branch where he or she works and withdraws money because his or her family has been taken hostage, the duty manager at the branch is expected to dial a set phone number. The number connects to the Garda sergeant on duty at Garda command and control, who then contacts crime and security section.

I ask the Minister to take this matter seriously. We cannot allow a situation where law and order in the State plummets to the depths we witnessed yesterday, last week and on a number of occasions this year. I ask the Minister to ensure that not only are there robust and proper protocols in place, but that these protocols are complied with and adhered to by the bank personnel. If not, then the head of security at our banks must consider their positions. Co-operation between the Garda and the banks under the direction of the Minister must ensure that these appalling acts are not only not tolerated, but are no longer an occurrence in our State.

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