Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The attack on Jimmy Campion at the age of 94 in Roscrea, County Tipperary and his wife, Maura, who is aged 87, was an attack of cowardice and wanton brutality. I do not know who the people who broke into that house are, the condition they were in or the state of their minds, but to do that to an elderly person is unforgivable in so many ways. Unfortunately, it is not the first time it has happened and probably will not be the last. I hope Mr. Campion is making a recovery. I note the reports of the walking stick being broken and the effect this is having on his wife, Maura, with the post traumatic stress caused by people entering a house and beating up a man in his senior years. I saw his neighbour and colleague on television saying that he was a gentleman of the first type against whom he had played hurling so many years ago. They would not have attempted to break into the house if he had been in his younger years as a hurler. I share the Deputy's view on this matter.

It is a fact of life that we have made serious attempts to involve communities through the text alert system and Macra na Tuaithe where communities are advised to be in contact with the Garda and Garda stations when unusual happenings and these type of suspicious movements take place. The TheftStop partnership with the IFA aims to deal with the stealing of livestock and machinery. As the Deputy is aware, efforts are under way to deal with this through various technological chips and so on to prevent machinery being stolen and to ensure that if it is stolen, people will know where it is. A total of 75% of burglaries are committed by about 25% of these people. Some of those involved are professional gangs. Operation Thor, which has been funded by the Minister for Justice and Equality and the Government, has put a stop to a great deal of that because many of those professional gangs who leave particular areas to travel throughout the country in high-speed cars have had their run ended.

I hope the local gardaí in Roscrea are able to apprehend these people. It will be for the courts to punish them. The Deputy made a very clear case about how he feels they should be punished. It is simply unforgivable that a man and his wife in the comfort of their own home who expect they will be able to live their lives in peace and tranquility should have that breached by thugs who enter a house for no other reason than to beat someone up and rob money. I hope the local gardaí find these people, that they are brought before the courts and that the judge on the bench will deal with them.

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