Rónán Mullen (Independent)

No matter how bad the national finances are, the fact that the funding for Operation Anvil, the Garda Siocháná's biggest ongoing operation to tackle organised crime, has been cut by more than 50% should not be let go unchallenged or without criticism. When I raised the matter a number of weeks ago, I said that no matter how bad things got, it would still be necessary to prioritise in favour of essential services. At a time when so many people are concerned about organised crime, it is madness to cut the budget for Operation Anvil to that extent. I have a similar concern about the ability of the Garda to investigate prostitution in this country.