Camillus Glynn (Fianna Fail)

I support strongly the views of Senator Ó Murchú. It is true to say that, with the economic downturn, many people with accomplished skills are no longer in gainful employment. This is a waste of resources, as those people could be devolved into the schemes outlined by the Senator. For example, all of us would be aware of the worthy housing aid for the elderly scheme. The most expensive component of such schemes is labour. Highly skilled people could be utilised through the medium suggested by Senator Ó Murchú to carry out repairs and install alarms. Recently, the House discussed the grants for alarms awarded by the Minister of State, Deputy Curran, and his Department. As the workers would be in receipt of an income, the savings in labour costs would mean that more alarms for the elderly could be installed.

The House needs a debate on crime, in particular knife crime. Indeed, I called for it last week. The situation is unacceptable. If a person puts a pen in his or her pocket in the morning, he or she intends to write with it. If a person puts a knife in his or her pocket in the morning or at night, it is a fair bet that, if challenged, he or she intends to use it. It is time to hold a meaningful debate on knife crime. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is a frequent visitor to the House, as has been stated. However, this is a crisis. Hardly a week goes by that does not see one, two or, sometimes, three murders arising from knife crime. The Minister, Deputy Dermot Ahern, has shown himself to be proactive when it comes to dealing with crime and we would benefit greatly from a meaningful debate.