Joe McHugh (Fine Gael)

Will the Leader provide clarification on charges for long-term psychiatric patients in residential units? As far as I am aware, some patients have been notified that they have to make payments dating back to July 2005. The Leader need not necessarily reply today.

Many young men and women operate at the coalface of the fight against crime, and are engaged in taking on the crimelords. It is important we are conscious of the fact that if we do not properly resource the Garda, we will have a different type of debate to the one we are having today, in that we will be discussing lives lost in the force. It is a pure and utter miracle that gardaí have not lost their lives yet and it is important to prevent this from happening.