Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)

I congratulate the Garda on arresting three suspects for one of these security van heists. The reason the State paid for some of the cost of transporting money around the country was because there was a definite public interest in preventing what at one time was an absolute spate of robberies during the Troubles. Times have changed, the Troubles are over and bank profits have rocketed. As Senator Dardis mentioned, I would not be quite so enthusiastic about the ubiquitous use of credit cards. If one is waiting in a queue behind people using cards, the queue takes twice as long to clear. Cards clearly have a value for larger transactions. Senator Dardis mentioned discussions involving the Private Security Authority. We welcome this as the first decentralised office is in Tipperary town.