Jim Higgins (Fine Gael)

I support the amendment proposed by my colleague Senator Brian Hayes to defer discussion on No. 3 and to introduce an emergency debate on crime. Anybody listening to Joe Duffy's "Liveline" programme, now taken over by Derek Davis, could not fail to be horrified by the graphic evidence from ordinary people about the manner in which they have been attacked – during the day or at night – on the streets and the appalling deaths and injuries that result.

We need to address this matter from several viewpoints. It is a fallacy to say there are 12,000 gardaí on duty. Some 4,000 of those are working in-house on desk duties. Another 2,000 are involved in ferrying prisoners to and from court or are on court duty themselves. In addition, a huge number of gardaí are on sick leave at any one time. When other security duties are taken into consideration – for example, driving Ministers – the actual number of people on duty is 393, or 19 per county, which is appalling.