The programme for Government stated that this Government would stand for a society in which people can feel safe in their communities, businesses and homes. Yesterday, Deputy Crawford uncovered evidence that the former Minister for Health and Children spent €30 million on 145 reports. A sum of €60 million was spent by the former Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government on electronic voting and the Comptroller and Auditor General has reported on how the cost of the roads programme has increased by €8 billion over the period of the programme to date.

Does the Taoiseach understand the sense of frustration on the streets and in homes with petty crime, break-ins and assaults? What does he say to a shop owner in Talbot Street who last year apprehended 150 persons in the process of stealing goods in his premises, all of which went unreported because previous reports were not acted on? What does he say to a family I know in Sutton whose house was cleaned out a month ago? What does he say to an employee of this House whose house was robbed at 3 o'clock in the morning? These are only some of the thousands of incidents of unreported crime.

The Taoiseach as head of Government is bound, under Article 40.3-5 of the Constitution, to ensure the law protects our citizens, their good name, their property and so forth. He has utterly failed to do that. Does he appreciate the level of concern among members of the public? The community has lost confidence in the Garda. The gardaí are not given the resources they need to do their job. The Government has failed abysmally to use the resources of Government and the community to build a society that works and does not have the rash of anti-social behaviour breaking out all over the country every night and every weekend. People have a sense that nobody is in charge and that the abuse of property and people's rights is out of control.

Does the Taoiseach not agree that after eight years in office the Government has failed miserably to address that crisis of confidence? What will he do about it?

I do not believe people have lost faith or trust in the gardaí, that crime is out of control or that our legislation is outdated. This Government has continually recruited more gardaí and given the Garda more resources. It has passed stronger laws and improved the criminal justice system, updating it whenever necessary. It is dealing with drug offenders, and the establishment of specialist Garda units to deal with various types of crime has worked effectively. That is the reason crime figures are down.

Yes, it is true that there is still too much crime. Although the lobby in this House and elsewhere was in favour of increasing opening hours for drinking, I was one of the people who successfully opposed an extension of opening hours on Sunday nights. Some people wanted to extend the time to 2 a.m. We must be tougher.

Zero tolerance.

In fairness to the gardaí, and this is something that affects their morale, as soon as they use the type of actions and deterrents that are commonly used in other countries there is a group, which includes Members of this House, that will oppose them taking sterner action. We need to show a level of consistency.

This Government reversed the cancellation of the prison building programme which took place during the 1990s. The rainbow Government failed to put one extra garda on the streets, failed to properly resource the gardaí, failed to provide one extra prison place and supported a policy that led to 16% of sentenced prisoners being on the streets. We reversed those policies and we will continue to devote extra resources to the Garda——

What about the 2,000 gardaí?

Ask the people of Clones.

Deputy Crawford is not the leader of his party.

Twenty year old walkie talkies.

——and to pass stronger laws to deal with crime. If we are serious about crime, the best thing we can do is stand behind the gardaí so they can deal with criminals and thugs.

And not criticise them.

I do not have to take lectures from the Taoiseach on this. The Fine Gael Party founded this State and established the Garda Síochána, and we will always support them.

Posturing.

We will give the gardaí the resources and the capacity to do their jobs, unlike a previous Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform with his zero tolerance concept which is now utterly out of control.

Under Article 40.2 of the Constitution, the Taoiseach is charged with protecting the people of this country, their property and their good names. Does he not appreciate the level of frustration that builds up in people who, when they find that the gardaí are not available or do not have the facilities to be available, take the law into their own hands with unfortunate and tragic consequences in some cases? The Government is responsible for this. The Minister for Defence, Deputy O'Dea, can smirk if he wishes but the Taoiseach and his Ministers do not appreciate the level of concern, frustration and anger with the failure of the Government to deal with anti-social behaviour, petty crime, burglaries and assaults. In his eighth year as Taoiseach, he and the Government have utterly failed. They should be ashamed of themselves.

Serious crime has increased seven fold, the number of personal assaults has doubled and at least two of every five crimes are not reported. What does the Taoiseach say to the shopkeepers and business owners whose premises are invaded daily yet nothing can be done by the gardaí because they do not have the resources? There is a crisis of confidence among the public. The Taoiseach should be ashamed of how he has carried on.

Crime statistics recorded by the Garda for last year compared with the previous year——

Compare them with the 1990s.

——showed a decrease of over 3,000.

Tell that to the man in Talbot Street.

The incidence of headline crimes, at over 48,000, shows a decrease of 14%. It is not correct to say——

It is not reported.

I accept there is crime but the best way to deal with crime is to have more gardaí, better resourced gardaí and more equipment.

We need 2,000 more.

That is precisely what the Government is doing. This country, per 100,000 of population, has more gardaí than most countries. We have more prison places, more laws and tough laws in many areas — laws that have been opposed by Members of this House.

We need new laws.

With regard to drugs and sex crime, we have already substantially strengthened the criminal law through the criminal justice system. There are ten year mandatory jail sentences for anyone convicted of possessing drugs with a street value over a certain level — approximately €13,000 — and three tough Bills have been enacted in regard to sex offences and child trafficking. The Criminal Justice Bill 2004 has provisions which will strengthen the investigative powers of the Garda Síochána by dealing with the power of arrest, search powers, detention powers and the power to take fingerprints and DNA samples. It is tough laws such as this which we must support and enact if we want to end thuggery on the streets.

This is ridiculous.

The laws are not working.

Where is the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform? Is he gone into hiding?

Allow Deputy Rabbitte to speak without interruption, please.