During the Covid-19 lockdowns and since there was an increase in violence and in antisocial behaviour on the streets of both the north inner city and the south inner city. That was ignored and we saw where that leads to. I want to bring to the attention of the Minister the increase in anti-social behaviour on the streets of Ennis, which as Deputy Lowry said is now part of this new Clare-Tipperary division.

There has been a marked increase in antisocial behaviour, perhaps linked to people being moved out of other areas and into Ennis. Very recently, a market building, which was built at huge cost to the Exchequer, has been closed because the Garda, for whatever reason - perhaps it does not have the resources - cannot prevent antisocial behaviour occurring there. I refer in particular to congregation for the purpose of drug-taking. What is going to be done to ensure that people in Ennis feel safe going about their business, that public facilities can remain open and that antisocial behaviour is prevented there? It is a very basic requirement of policing in this State that buildings like that can be protected and people can feel safe on the streets of our provincial towns.

What I do not want to do is conflate antisocial behaviour and particular types of behaviour with what we saw on Thursday night, which was-----

One leads to the other.

-----absolute vandalism and criminality.

You have abandoned the streets.

We need to make sure that those who engage in particular types of behaviour are stopped and prevented at the earliest stage and supported and directed in a new path. That is, again, not to conflate this in any way with what happened on Thursday night because no situation encourages or forces somebody to go out and loot, riot and vandalise property and other public supports. We have invested in our youth justice services. We have doubled the amount of funding that has gone into our diversion programmes. We are investing in our probation services to make sure that for those who get caught up in the law at an early stage, there is strict monitoring and oversight and gardaí are working with them. However, it is also about making sure we have as many gardaí on our streets as possible. Time and again, with every new class coming out of the college, we are seeing increased numbers. That is how we will respond to many of the challenges we will have.