There was another killing in this city last night. There were 62 homicides in Dublin last year and the city is now more deadly than London. At least eight of those killings were so-called gangland killings as far as we know. No one has been charged with any of these killings. We know from official Garda figures that the level of violent assaults rose last year by 93%. The Taoiseach will be aware of a horrific incident last week involving the alleged rape of three young women, in which case a prosecution is being taken. Joyriding is at epidemic levels in some parts of Dublin and outside the city. Women, in particular, are afraid to walk some of the streets of our cities.

What will the Taoiseach do to address this problem? The only Government action I can see is an offer from the Minister of State, Deputy O'Dea, to mediate among the warring gangs in Limerick, an idea not without its attractions. Other than that tomfoolery, what does the Taoiseach intend to do to prevent a situation where crime bosses think they can kill at will and with impunity? What does he intend to do to ensure these people are brought to justice?

There has been a number of serious and violent acts. While many of the people who have suffered from these have been engaged in crime, their families endured enormous hardship and I extend my sympathies to them.

In recent years, the Government has implemented and has had before this House stringent legislation to try to deal with crime. Our Garda force is at a record high this year due to further recruitment and full capacity in Templemore. We have resourced the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform to a record level. We would like to have done more this year but that was not possible. The Government will continue to initiate and implement public order legislation and to support the targeted operations, which are aimed at the precise criminal activities to which Deputy Rabbitte referred and which exist. Such schemes include operations Encounter, Dóchas, Cleanstreet and Nightcap, all of which involve Garda units combating sophisticated and high level crime. The extension of CCTVs and the enforcement of the dedicated units of the Garda have to be taken into account also.

Deputy Rabbitte knows well that we are up against very sophisticated gangs which are, in some cases, very well equipped. The only way to break up those gangs is with heavy resources deployed by specialised units. It is difficult and specialised work. The precise answer to Deputy Rabbitte's question is that the Government has to continue to resource the special units and make them available to break up the gangs. Normal Garda surveillance activities will not break up the gangs that are involved in the kinds of gangland activities to which the Deputy referred. We have to target our resources into particular areas, and that is what the Minister is doing. At times, it means pulling resources from other areas because infinite resources are not available. The Public Order Act will help in some areas, but I am not a great believer that new legislation alone will resolve these issues.

Perhaps I am wrong in thinking that Deputy Rabbitte said the records of detection are not good. The records of detection in respect of murders that relate to domestic and other activities are very good, but not, admittedly, in respect of gangland murders, as I think he said. The Garda feels that the only way to deal with this problem is through specialised units, and that is where the Government is offering the most support.

Talking about reality, is it not the reality that we have had two gangland killings already this year and that two youths were abducted who are feared dead? There is little point in telling me of the rate of detection in respect of domestic violence when this is the record.

Is it not also the reality that the Taoiseach and the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform promised 2,000 additional gardaí, but not one additional garda has been appointed? The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, a man who has an opinion on everything but a policy on nothing in his own area, in one of his many interviews over Christmas told us that the Minister for Finance has capped the number of gardaí at 12,500. We were not told that in this House. How does one get 12,500 when one adds 2,000 to 11,800? The Government promised the additional 2,000 gardaí and it is not only in terms of gangland violence that problem exists. It exists on the streets in terms of joyriding in communities that are besieged in their homes. No remedy is offered by the Government.

The Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy O'Dea, went on radio and advised the nation that he went to his local Garda station to promise it additional resources. It is news to me that a Minister of State can go around advising of additional resources. Maybe when he is finished he can come to my Garda station and that of every other Member of the House to do the same. If the Government's response is to send the Minister of State, Deputy O'Dea, to talk on "Morning Ireland" to address the situation five years after a Minister came to office beating the drum of zero tolerance, it must be the sickest, most cynical joke in Irish politics in recent years.

Deputy Rabbitte has raised three points. The abduction and detention of the young men, allied to the difficulties in Limerick, is obviously totally unacceptable in a civilised society. All the resources that are necessary to find these young men are being, and will continue to be, made available. The Army, the Garda, the air support unit, the dog unit and special units have been involved for several days. The dog unit is very important in trying to find these young men so the Deputies should not sneer at it. The only way the young men will be found at this stage, unfortunately, is with the dog unit. That is the regrettable part. Searches have proved negative so far but they are still taking place.

The last Government increased the Garda numbers to the current figure of 11,900, as Deputy Rabbitte knows. Within the Garda Training College in Templemore it is hoped to bring the Garda authorised strength up to 12,200 this year. It will not be possible to go beyond that figure this year, but the figure must be considered in light of resources as they exist within the overall framework to keep a sustainable economy and to keep people in employment.

In respect of Deputy Rabbitte's question on overall crime, there is crime in other areas. The Public Order Bill, I hope, will give the Garda significant additional powers to deal with drunken, disorderly and riotous behaviour which is evident in beleaguered communities. As soon as the legislation is passed the Government will take the necessary action to try to enforce order in these areas, as we have been doing.