Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. The robust response he spoke about has been undermined, particular in rural areas, by a number of cuts the Minister, Deputy Shatter, has made. There has been a severe cut in the community alert scheme and we do not have the resources to launch new community alert schemes or expand existing ones. Second, as a result of the substantial cuts to the senior alert scheme, which provides enormous security to older people in their homes by providing them with a pendant which alerts someone when an incident arises in the house, this scheme cannot be expanded. Perhaps the Minister for Justice and Equality will meet with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to discuss the possibility of spending unspent money in the rural development fund and, perhaps, within the Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, on those two schemes which support community initiatives to protect older people in their homes.

My final comment is specifically a justice issue. The €79 million in the Garda Siochána budget this year is impacting on overtime and on the availability of patrol cars. Patrol cars are being withdrawn from rural areas, which is also undermining the robust response of which the Minister of State speaks in terms of the Garda Síochána's ability to deal with this issue. I ask that the Ministers, Deputy Shatter and Deputy Hogan and, perhaps, the Minister of State, Deputy McGinley, meet to consider whether there are funds available within the community section of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and within the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, that could allow for some expansion of the community and senior alert schemes, particularly at a time when the figures in respect of burglaries are increasing.

See this speech in context