Eugene Regan (Fine Gael)

I refer the House to the CSO crime figures for the last quarter, which show the crimes of burglary, murder and robbery all increased. In particular, burglaries and aggravated burglaries increased by between 26% and 50%. This happens at a time when the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Dermot Ahern, has rejected Fine Gael's home defence Bill. The figures show the abject failure of the Minister in the war on crime.

The Minister may seek to take some comfort from the spectacular success of the enforcement agencies in arresting nine people in Greenore after the discovery of 120 million contraband cigarettes valued at €50 million. However, the spectacular success of Customs and Excise and the Naval Service in this regard only highlights the enormous problem of smuggled cigarettes which fuels organised crime and terrorism. There is speculation of a link with the Real IRA in this trade but the Minister has not made the issue a priority. The retail trade believes one in three packets of cigarettes are sold without excise duty being charged. The Revenue Commissioners estimate they lost €387 million in 2008 and will lose up to €1 billion in 2009 as a result. I have not heard the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform speak about this issue or suggest it is a priority for him.

I refer to the debate on reducing the limit for drink driving. The former Taoiseach gave a commitment to introduce mandatory alcohol testing at road traffic accidents where injuries were sustained. Fine Gael tabled a Private Members' motion in the Dáil on 12 October 2007 calling for a Bill to introduce mandatory testing. This is the only way we can know the link between alcohol usage and accidents on our roads. Before that debate took place, the Minister for Transport, Deputy Noel Dempsey, announced that he would introduce legislation as appropriate. Will the Leader ask the Minister what has happened to his initiative and the Bill which he promised? Consistency on the Minister's part would be welcome.