Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is nice to see Senator Pauline O'Reilly in the role of Acting Leader. Well done to her. I agree with Senator Gallagher with regard to the debate on credit unions.

I wish to mention the decision by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy McConalogue, to reinstate a derogation for farmers to burn green waste. Of course it is not the ideal solution but there is no other solution at the moment. Often, farmers have to cut away material that is then left lying in fields, particularly where there are dangerous road junctions. The run-off from that is not good if it runs into drains. That derogation is, therefore, in place. I acknowledge the Government and the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, who have agreed to reinstate that derogation for now until we get some other solution for that problem.

With the little time I have left, I wish to mention the issue of crime. I come from a county that was designated the safest county in the country in which to live in a survey carried out by the Irish Examiner last year. There has definitely been a rise in house robberies, however. A family will go away and when they come back, a window will have been broken and items removed from the house. In an area close to me, a couple were actually eating their dinner at 6 o'clock in the evening when guys came in, robbed the place and got away. This is a very frightening situation for people. Crime is on the decrease here; there is no doubt about that. We should have a conversation, however, about these people who frighten the hell out of people, older people in particular, by carrying out this type of robbery. They are not violent but they are very frightening. I would like to see a tightening up of the law. We should have a discussion with the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, with regard to this. It is just a discussion. I am not attacking the Minister. It is an area on which we need to focus and send a clear message to these people that they will not get away with this. It is our job to do that.