Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister to the House and the opportunity to contribute to this important debate.

At the beginning of the debate, the Minister told us, "The news is not good." There has been an endeavour to put a spin on an intolerable situation and I do not know how any Minister could describe the situation in such mild terms. We have waited to give an opportunity to the Minister to implement his strategy, but I cannot understand what it is from his speech today and after nearly 12 months in office. The Minister's predecessor advocated zero tolerance and led the public into a period of expectation that something positive would be done about solving the crime problem, but it obviously went out of control under him.