Last week I raised the issue of drug dealing and intimidation in Clonmel town centre. Clonmel is a fine town with fine people. There was an incident on Friday night when a young farmer who was going to his homeplace was confronted by a gang, beaten to the ground, kicked underneath his van and left. It could have been a fatality. Will the Taoiseach do something to support the Garda in Clonmel? The numbers are appalling. The ones who are there do their best but the management is leaving a lot to answer for. Gardaí are in danger as they go around in the squad car on their own in the middle of the night. I am glad the Minister for Justice is here. Will she set up a task force to deal with the problem in Clonmel and the outlying parishes? There are roving gangs intimidating farmers and all families under the auspices of lamping, which is illegal anyway, and hunting of rabbits and hares, which is illegal as well, unmuzzled. We do not hear anything about that. They are intimidating farmers and their wives and families. It is almost out of control and the Garda is going to lose control of it unless the Minister sends in resources immediately.

On the resourcing of An Garda Síochána, it is a matter for the Commissioner as to where they go. My role is to make sure the Commissioner has as many gardaí as possible to be able to allocate into the different regions. We have about 460 that will either come into or leave Templemore this year. With the new recruitment campaign, the intention and the funding that was allocated in this year's budget is for 1,000 additional gardaí next year and we hope to continue that number. That would see 200 gardaí every three months being sent out to the various towns, villages and rural and urban communities. That will help to bolster gardaí on the ground as well as those working in specialised teams. On rural crime, Operation Thor and a number of other specific, targeted operations look at these rural gangs and that type of activity in rural areas. They are being rolled out and will be rolled out right across the winter months.