Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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I move:

That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to provide for the amendment of the Roads Act 1993 in order to install closed circuit television cameras at motorway junctions for use by An Garda Síochána.

The purpose of this Bill to help the authorities in the battle against criminality, a battle which is raging up and down the country in every community, both rural and rural. There has been much discussion and many public meetings in communities on the problem of burglaries. We have received a response from the Government which is far from adequate. While some of the measures announced are welcome, some do not go far enough.

This legislation proposes the National Roads Authority provide proper CCTV coverage of junctions in the major road networks. Recently, An Garda Síochána was mandated and resourced to purchase high powered vehicles to patrol and police motorways. We know from Garda intelligence that the motorways are being used by roving criminal gangs to travel from Dublin city to remote and isolated rural parts of the country to engage in crime, theft and burglary. The provision of CCTV cameras at motorway junctions would be a major asset in curbing and detecting crime. We know that the motorways are so well patrolled, they could be picked up in time.

In addition to the provision of CCTV cameras, there are other measures which we have previously introduced in this House. Fianna Fáil believes the strength of An Garda Síochána should be brought back up to 14,000. It is currently languishing below 12,500. Quite simply, the Government has kept the moratorium on recruitment in place for far too long.

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Who closed the college in Templemore?

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Deputy Niall Collins should not talk nonsense. Who closed the college in Templemore?

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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The Government recruited into the Defence Forces over the years during the public sector recruitment moratorium.

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I have never heard such waffle in the House. The Deputy should sit down.

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy has waffled himself in the past.

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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We reopened the college in Templemore.

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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The Garda Reserve Force is completely underutilised. There is no reason its complement could not be increased threefold. The Government’s measures to protect the elderly do not go far enough. It has not introduced any robust legislation to provide suitable custodial terms for vicious assaults perpetrated against the elderly members of the community. Burglaries continue to increase under its watch. Thankfully, we now have an independent barometer of crime rates through the Central Statistics Office. However, it is showing that headline crime trends are, unfortunately, moving in the wrong direction, but the Government has failed to do anything about this. We are also calling for a national directorate to help voluntary organisations involved in crime prevention such as Neighbourhood Watch and Community Alert.

It is with this in mind that we have launched this Bill to provide for CCTV coverage at motorway junctions. It would be within the remit of the National Roads Authority to install CCTV systems, maintain them and link them with An Garda Síochána. It would be a valuable tool in the prevention and detection of crime.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Is the Bill being opposed?

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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No.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Since this is a Private Members' Bill, Second Stage must, under Standing Orders, be taken in Private Members' time.

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."