David Norris (Independent)

Look at what they have done to the Ambassador Cinema and St. Mary's Church, which is an historic building and has been turned into another one of these boozeramas. Licences have now been granted to supermarkets to sell trays of beer. What is the logic behind granting these licences?

I wish to raise serious questions concerning the District Court judges who are involved in the licensing system. I have seen it operating on a rubber-stamp basis and they never ask questions. All kinds of blackguards are being given these licences and the same applies to lap-dancing clubs. I am glad to see that the Minister had something to say about this and so have some members of the Judiciary. This has to be tackled. Prostitution is decent and honest compared to this kind of thing, which breeds crime and oppresses the unfortunate, mainly eastern European, women involved.

I agree with colleagues on both sides of the House, including Senator Morrissey, who said that community policing is the way forward. We have a marvellous community policing system in North Great George's Street and we want more of it. Our community Garda, Ger O'Sullivan, jumped into the Liffey recently to rescue two people. His fiancée, who is also a garda, was also involved in saving those two people's lives. He is a very popular person in our area, where he meets people and knows their names and their backgrounds. He is a kind of father figure for many children who do not have such figures in their lives. Community policing presents a good, positive image so any money the Minister can spend on community gardaí will be a wise investment.