Jim D'Arcy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I offer my sympathies to the families of those young people who lost their lives in Berkeley. Senator White said my son is in Berkeley. Indeed he is, and the hour spent trying to contact him was very long, but when that was done, my heart went out to the families who have suffered the unbearable loss of their beautiful young children. I know the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade will do this anyway but I ask the Leader to ask him to continue to provide every possible assistance to those families at this horrendous time.

I refer to what the former Irish Farmers' Association president, Padraig Walshe, said yesterday, having been a victim of rural crime on his farm in Durrow, County Laois. He said that farmers are in great danger from criminals coming onto their farms. He finds it very disheartening for farmers to see their hard-earned farm equipment being stolen by these groups. We have had a great deal of cattle and sheep rustling in County Louth over the past year in places like Knockbridge, Ravensdale and Cooley. I am pleased that the number of gardaí in training has increased and more gardaí are being deployed. I ask the Leader to ask the Minister to come to the House to discuss this issue and how the Garda will be deployed in these situations.