Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

A recently published PhoneWatch survey recently published showed there were 19,000 burglaries last year in this country. That is a 3% increase on the previous year. Rural areas would appear to be the worst affected, with my own constituency of Cavan-Monaghan experiencing 483 burglaries last year. That is a staggering 36% increase on the previous year. Westmeath was the highest and showed a 44% increase on the previous year. I am sure the Leader will agree these figures are scary and alarming. We should also remember that behind each of those 19,000 burglaries, there are people who have been left hurt and traumatised. I have raised the issue of inadequate Garda resources in our communities for some time and I think it is an issue that deserves serious attention. The front-line members of the Garda who put their lives on hold every day they present themselves for duty deserve better. The conference of the Garda Representative Association, GRA, is taking place this week. Year after year, its members raise issues regarding their work and the lack of resources and, it would appear, a lack of commitment devoted to helping them do their job.

It is high time we showed more respect to the men and women of An Garda Síochána, who go out on a daily basis to protect us. The least they deserve is to be properly resourced, from the perspectives of manpower and preparation. I understand from the conference that more than 50 Bills have passed through these Houses in recent years and no member of the Garda has received tuition as to how that legislation affects his or her job. It is not good enough, as I am sure the Leader would agree. It is high time we showed respect to the men and women of An Garda Síochána who go out and do the difficult job of protecting rural communities day after day. Based on these figures, they have a serious job of work on their hands.