With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 140, 142 and 149 together.
In the period from 31st March, 1970, to 21st October, 1971, a total of 45 armed robberies were committed, 37 of them since 1st November, 1970. Eight of the robberies were on bank premises. In the same period there was one bank robbery that was not an armed robbery.
The total amount of money and the value of property reported to the Garda as having been taken in the robberies was £67,311, of which £33,320 was money reported as taken in the bank robberies. Arrests were made in 12 cases, one case being an armed bank robbery.
It would not be in the public interest to give details of the number of gardaí detailed to give specific attention to these crimes. Both general instructions and specific instructions where it appeared that these might be necessary or useful have been issued from time to time by the commissioner in relation to them.