In relation to Question No. 4: what plans has the Minister to deal with the question of housebreaking in urban and suburban communities? How would the package relate to that? The Minister has mentioned various aspects of community relations, but there is a great problem of insecurity in homes at present. What measures has the Minister in mind or is he implementing at present to deal with that situation?

(Limerick East): In any area of crime there is first of all the detection of crime and then the prevention of crime. The detection of housebreaking or burglary is carried out by the Detective Division of the Garda Síochána. The deployment policy now of providing many extra uniformed gardaí on the beat will lead to the prevention of housebreaking and burglary. That is a response to that problem and obviously, the response to other problems also.

Another emerging situation is that many communities now as communities are organising to co-operate with the Garda and the idea of a community watch, which has been successful in the US and Britain, is being practised here in communities in an ad hoc way. Co-operation should exist between the Garda and communities, but there may be the difficulty of transferring the crime to an adjacent area certainly in the case of burglary and housebreaking. Communities could help here by identifying the people involved in their community so that the names of those operating outside are known to the Garda.