Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate, which is important, as other speakers have said. That there were 53 murders, or one a week, in Ireland last year is a very serious matter. As well as the increase in gangland crime, there has been a marked increase in aggravated robberies and assaults. We all know that such crime is being fed by the drug problem that is causing havoc in many of our communities. A young man from my parish, Mr. Brian Casey, lost his life as a result of an callous and senseless assault in the county town of Ennis over the Christmas period. We share the grief of his family and other families that have been through similar nightmares.

There has been a 28% increase in the number of drug detections in County Clare over the past 12 months. The figures speak for themselves. That 88 people were picked up for a drug offences in County Clare last year shows the extent of the problem in the county and in the country as a whole. On local radio today, I heard a psychiatrist from County Clare warning that lives will be lost if head shops are not regulated. I welcome the fact that the Minister, Deputy Mary Harney, has said that regulations will be put in place before next June.

No community is immune from the impact of the growing problem of drug-fuelled crime. There have been many robberies in Shannon, including aggravated robberies in businesses, over recent times. They are all fuelled by drugs. Shannon is not alone. Elderly people in isolated rural areas are being preyed on as well. Many of these criminals dress up as council workers or gardaí to take advantage of elderly people. They wear disguises and tell elderly people they can help to fix broken pipes or check to see if they are safe. Some 20 personal robberies were recorded in the Clare Garda division in 2009, compared to just six in 2008. The reality is that robberies are on the increase.

I wish to commend the Garda on the excellent work its does. I wish to give an example that shows it will do the job if it gets the resources it needs. The number of public order offences in Ennis used to be approximately 19 per week; last year, following the introduction of CCTV in the town, it fell to just four per week. The gardaí are able to monitor the situation in the town from the Garda station. As soon as trouble is noticed, they can deploy patrol cars to the affected areas. If the resources are put in place, the Garda can do its job.

The best way to police communities is to put gardaí back on the beat on the streets. As other speakers have said, the recruitment freeze has had a huge effect on Garda numbers. In the past 12 months, some 800 gardaí have retired from the force. It was anticipated that just 400 would retire. We do not have a chief superintendent in the Clare division at the moment. I hope that position will be filled in the near future. As I do not have the time to say everything else I would like to say, I will finish by pointing out the need to address the fact that many crimes are committed by people who are out on bail. The rule of law must be implemented. A woman in Sixmilebridge was murdered a few years ago by somebody who was out on bail. These issues must be addressed. I urge the Government to take Deputy Charles Flanagan's proposals on board. We need to work together to solve the huge crime problem that exists at the moment, which is partly fuelled by the recession.

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