No doubt everyone in this House will at this point have heard about the theft of an ATM from outside the Bank of Ireland premises in Ballybay, County Monaghan. It is the only on-street ATM available to the public in Ballybay.

In the run-up to Christmas, the main street was closed off for a considerable period and it was not possible for local people to access the many shops, restaurants and bars that the town has to offer.

In many ways, this could have been a complete disaster for a small rural town like Ballybay, but I am glad to report a positive news story today, in that Ballybay is fighting back. Last night, the local chamber of commerce held an emergency meeting at which it decided that this Christmas was not going to be disastrous for it and that it would do something about the situation. The chamber met staff from the local Bank of Ireland branch, which I am glad to report has, to accommodate local traders and shoppers, decided to open its branch doors on Saturday and Sunday of this week. I compliment the local bank staff on doing that.

The chamber also decided to hold a number of events to kick-start the town's Christmas. It has arranged everything from a carol service to music on the streets to promote the local town and encourage people to shop locally over Christmas. We can refer to CCTV and more gardaí for the town and we will do so in the new year, but what could have been a disaster for a small rural town has ended up being a good news story. I compliment the people of Ballybay on their good community spirit.

I take the opportunity to encourage people throughout the country to shop local, where possible. It is the local business that sponsors the local football or athletic club and puts its hand in its pocket all year around. This is the time of year where the customers have an opportunity to thank the local shop, bar or restaurant by putting their hands in their pockets and shopping locally. I encourage as many people as possible to keep that in mind over the Christmas period.

My colleague, Senator Norris, just referred to the Roscommon incident. There is no escaping the fact that land and its ownership run through the heart of what it is to be Irish. However, I sometimes think that we get the emotional side of the argument without getting the full facts. Clearly, there is high emotion across Roscommon and the west over what has happened. Many Senators will have sailed close to the wind with family debt at some stage as their lives changed. In my case, it was when my business failed. There is a requirement on all of us to engage with those who loaned us money. I have no idea why that family was being evicted other than there was an unpaid debt, which was put through the courts and on which the courts made a ruling. The method by which the family was evicted was outrageous. That people can come down from wherever dressed in black uniforms without identification marks, in some cases in vehicles that have no visible registration or tax discs, is not acceptable.

It is equally not acceptable for a shower of thugs to enter a property afterwards and beat up security officers who are working for the minimum wage. I have stood as a security officer in some of the most precarious places, places where I was scared stiff, for an entire night on my own. It is grossly unfair of any shower of thugs to beat up eight men.

First, we need regulation of such operators. Second, we need the full details. Third, I will call on the Leader to ask the Minister for Justice and Equality to look at Facebook because the name and address of the county sheriff in Roscommon has been published on it today. The county sheriff is doing a job, the same as anyone else. None of this is going to put that family back in its home.