asked the Minister for Justice the number of occasions since 1st January, 1977, and the dates on which a squad car has not been on duty in the Cashel, County Tipperary, area.

The Garda patrol car in Cashel was not operative on eight days since 1st January, 1977. The dates were 3rd, 4th, 9th, 16th January; 14th, 27th, 28th February and 2nd March. On those days the Cashel subdistrict was covered by Garda cars from Cahir and Thurles.

Will the Deputy state why the car was not in use on those occasions?

The reason for grounding the car on those days was that the normal driver had to be assigned to priority tasks which arose on those days.

Is it a fact that they would not be given overtime in the Cashel area with the result that the town and area were not covered? Is the Minister aware that the Cahir district is 40 miles long and 30 miles wide? How could the car from that area cover another area also? From Cahir to Abbeyleix, a distance of 40 miles on the Dublin highway, was not patrolled by a car on a number of occasions.

In addition to the patrol car from Cahir I understand that the traffic corps patrol car from Thurles was also available to do patrolling in this district. It is not correct to say that the non-availability of gardaí was due to an overtime question. There were priority duties. I understand that one of them in recent times was checking the voters register.

If that is law and order, then God help us.

The Minister knows he is talking through his hat. The Thurles car has enough to do in Thurles and the Cahir car has enough to do in that district. Will the Minister ensure that citizens who are paying taxes to get protection are given that protection in those areas? The crime rate has risen considerably since the Minister took office.

That is not correct.

It is correct. The number of crimes rose from 24 to 43 last year.