Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

The banks and the Garda use best international practice in training, protocols and the smart technology. I have seen some caustic remarks in this respect but in my meetings with the banks what has come across very strongly is that the amount of cash in our society is way higher than in any other state in proportion to our population and it is something we must cure by taking it out of the system. I do not accept what Deputy Flanagan stated on the use of boxes. It is available to the banks and they have invested in this respect. However, on occasion, because of certain circumstances on any given day there may be a large amount of cash in a bank. With regard to an increase in this type of crime, the figures show that there were three attempts in 2005, nine attempts in 2006, four attempts in 2007 and 2008, and there have been five attempts this year. They have become more vicious and more targeted at lower level bank officials and I have stated this publically.

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