I am sure the Taoiseach is aware of the harrowing accounts in today's newspapers of the incredible trauma that Mark and Emma Corcoran had to endure at the hands of seven criminals who travelled from Dublin to burgle the Corcoran family home in Tipperary. Their daughters spoke of how they thought their Daddy was going to die at the hands of these criminals. The criminals wore balaclavas and had handguns and knives. It was only due to Mrs. Corcoran ringing 999, as she was upstairs, that the gardaí in Monasterevin were in a position to apprehend the gang. There was also the case of John O'Donoghue in Doon, who collapsed and died when he came across intruders in his home.

In the 12 months from June 2014 to June 2015, there were 28,830 burglaries in the country. That is an average of approximately 80 reported burglaries per day. It is a truly shocking figure. Furthermore, that is not the real figure. The Central Statistics Office, CSO, has admitted that many of these crimes go unreported. Indeed, farmer David Thompson, aged 75, has been burgled three times in the past two years, but he has not reported the incidents. He said there is no point as there is no Garda presence. The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, AGSI, has specifically linked the surge in crime to the human impact of the closure of a total of 139 Garda stations across the country, which saved only €0.5 million. Anybody who has a finger on the pulse of rural Ireland says that was the wrong decision. Tim O'Leary, chairman of the Irish Farmers' Association, IFA, countryside division, said his organisation is deeply concerned and says it is happening because of the absence of gardaí in localities. When the nearest Garda station is 30 miles away one will not get a response. John Comer of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, ICMSA, says rural people feel the neglect due to the lack of a Garda presence.

There is real fear among people across the country, in both urban and rural areas. Due to the lack of a Garda presence it is particularly acute in rural areas, and all of the organisations involved tell us this. Will the Taoiseach accept that he got it wrong in terms of the closure of Garda stations across the country, that the strategy of removing presence in favour of mobility was wrong and that there are dire consequences as a result?

I agree with Deputy Martin that these burglaries and attacks on ordinary people are deplorable, and I condemn them without reservation. I am glad that many of those involved, although not all of them to date, will be brought before the courts under the law. It is most unfortunate that a death occurred among the cases the Deputy mentioned.

We live in a very different type of society. I and the Garda are aware that a small number of gangs are responsible for carrying out the majority of burglaries. It also appears that many of those who carry out these burglaries and vandalism, including beating up elderly women and so forth, are high as a result of substance abuse and create fearsome damage.

Garda stations were closed. This is an operational matter for the Garda. Having looked at the situation in so far as the closure of the Garda Training College in Templemore is concerned, where there were no gardaí coming through, that college has now been re-opened and 500 new Garda recruits are going through the college on an ongoing basis and coming into active service. There has been a change in the legislation for dealing with burglary which provides that consecutive sentencing can apply. These are important matters. A sum of €27 million has been allocated to the Garda for vehicles over the last number of years. In particular, finance has been made available for specialist vehicles to deal with high speed chases.

The valid point the Garda can make is that there are an extra 61,000 community hours because gardaí can now be in the community. That is important in respect of communications, intelligence and information. With regard to the capital programme announced yesterday, when the Government looked at the inferior, outdated and inadequate technological systems that the Garda has had to endure, it decided that must change and over €200 million has been allocated for that. One would like to think it could be done today, but obviously that is not possible.

The observations and vigilance of communities are very strong. The community text alert is a valuable instrument for notifying Garda stations and gardaí of incidents, strangers or strange activity in a locality. Obviously, the situation is not as satisfactory as we would wish. In fairness, a number of the very old Garda stations that were in various communities, where gardaí were expected to stay for a couple of hours once or twice a week to sign unemployment forms, would not prevent any crime. However, Community Alert, community information, access, proper equipment, good vehicles and proper technology are essential for gardaí to be able to their job. That is where the Government's focus is. I have been speaking to chief superintendents in their districts and they say the freeing up of gardaí to do community work is an important aspect of the work they must do.

I regret that these burglaries occur and I hope the Minister for Justice and Equality in conjunction with the Garda Commissioner can put a specific plan in place to deal with the gangs that are carrying out burglaries on a nightly basis in various parts of the country.

That is a very weak response. The Taoiseach is speaking like a commentator who is helpless to do anything about it. His recent interview in the Irish Independent was quite remarkable. In it he declared to the nation that he had been told recently by the Garda that travelling gangs are evading gardaí by driving at high speed and wearing night-vision goggles. The headlines blared that the Taoiseach has discovered that the criminals are wearing night-vision goggles. In addition, the Taoiseach said they could do ten burglaries at any time at any location they choose.

He has blindfolded himself.

What will the Taoiseach do about it?

He needs day time goggles.

Will he listen to the people in rural Ireland? I mentioned John Comer of the ICMSA, Tim O'Leary of the IFA, the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors and local councillors from all parties.

The dogs in the street.

What are they all saying? They are saying Garda presence matters.

Thank you.

Stations matter. They act as a deterrent. Presence on the ground acts as a deterrent and there is the capacity to gather local intelligence. When local people see somebody acting strangely, they can report it and get an immediate response but that is not happening. The Taoiseach is detached and out of touch.

Could you put your question, please?

To be honest with the Taoiseach, the people listening this morning to all this stuff about technology are not really worried about that.

Blindfolded.

They would much prefer to have a local garda with local knowledge on the ground.

Thank you.

It is not good enough to say, "It is not as good as we might like it to be", but that is what the Taoiseach is saying.

Sorry, Deputy. Would you please put your question?

Approximately 28,000 burglaries are reported every year. The Taoiseach got it wrong in terms of the closure of Garda stations and he is out of touch with rural Ireland and with the lives of people on the ground.

Thank you.

Councillor Noel Gleeson summed it up best-----

I am sorry. Hold it a second, Deputy. I said that you are way over your time. Would you please listen to me?

-----when he said:

Rural Ireland is being decimated as regards law and order, that’s the bottom line. We can’t say it often enough and hopefully someone might heed us...

Will the Taoiseach heed what people across the country are saying?

I ask Deputies to please adhere to the rules of the House that they made and that I am forced to impart. If I call time, please respect it. I call the Taoiseach.

I notice Deputy Martin is becoming more and more personalised in his politics. It is an indication that he wants to talk about anything but the forward momentum of the economy and the way it can impact upon what we are talking about here.

They wrecked the economy. They were in the booster seat for Bertie.

Why is he talking about the economy when somebody wants to talk about burglaries?

Will you please be quiet? I will not ask again. I will adjourn the House if this behaviour is going to continue.

It is not just on this side.

Please allow the reply, in the same way that I asked for silence for the Deputy asking the question.

The Deputy said we are standing as helpless commentators. I reject that.

Hapless.

Would you stay quiet?

They will set Senator Marie-Louise O'Donnell on you, Mattie.

Any time.

With night-time goggles.

What we have done is to change the law, to which we are all subject, so that consecutive sentencing can and will apply for burglaries. We have reopened Templemore Garda training college, which Fianna Fáil closed, with 500 men and women going through there, being attested and accredited and giving service to the country.

It took them four years.

They forgot that one.

Please, the Taoiseach is able to answer on his own.

We have allocated €29 million to replace the clapped-out vehicles, which were left as a legacy of what Fianna Fáil did when it was in government, with new cars and vehicles for gardaí.

It is true.

Because of the incidence of specialised burglary gangs leaving from particular parts of the country, we have given almost €1 million for specialised vehicles to deal with high-speed chases.

Thank you, Taoiseach.

It is a fact, and Deputy Martin can make a comment about it if he wants, that some of these gangs do use night-vision goggles and drive at excessive speeds throughout the country.

I will have to ask the Taoiseach to finish.

In addition, Deputy Martin asked what else we can do. Some 61,000 hours of Garda time are now available for community business.

Tell it to the family in Tipperary.

Deputy Martin made the point, and I agree with him, that Garda presence matters. Gardaí are far more visible when in the community than sitting in a 100 year old Garda station for two hours, waiting to sign unemployment or dole forms. The communications that Fianna Fáil left behind them were a Stone Age facility but that is all being replaced.

Sorry, Taoiseach. Would you please finish?

Communication, information, contact and community - these are the activities we need to have.

Will you please stay quiet? We are now five and a half minutes over time on that one question. I call Deputy Mary Lou McDonald.