asked the Minister for Justice if he is aware that as a result of the breakdown of law and order, householders and public institutions are finding it increasingly difficult to get adequate insurance cover; and the plans he has to provide adequate policing and protection.
Ceisteanna—Questions Oral Answers. - Domestic and Business Insurance.
29.
I do not accept that there is, as the Deputy puts it, a breakdown of law and order. In fact, the position is that the level of indictable crime recorded by the Garda Síochána has decreased in each of the past two years and the indications are that this downward trend is continuing this year.
The question of availability of insurance to household and public institutions is not a matter for me as Minister for Justice. I am informed by the Minister for Industry and Commerce that he is not aware of any insoluble problems in the availability of insurance to households and public institutions. Moreover, I understand that the incoming president of the Insurance Institute of Ireland told a recent meeting of the institute that the drop in crime is reflected in the lower number of insurance claims arising from specific criminal operations such as burglary.
Does the Minister appreciate that there has been a very substantial increase in the cost of house insurance? I appreciate that the details of these increases are not a matter for this Minister. But the cause of the increase is a matter for this Minister, and the cause is the breakdown in law and order in particular areas. It is becoming almost impossible to get insurance in these areas. The Minister has denied that these things are occurring and referred me to the overall drop in indictable crime on the last occasion I spoke here. Since then further churches have been burnt, schools have been vandalised, shops have been vandalised and set on fire. This has happened in the last ten days, and in the same areas that I referred the Minister to. The problem for the Garda Síochána is that they cannot, with the resources being made available to them at present, provide the manpower. That is the reality. They are not able to meet the situation.
I want to point out that that is a speech.
Does the Minister recognise that that is a reality? Will he get out and see that situation and provide the protection and deal with the situation instead of suggesting to us here that it is not happening?
I do not accept that there is a breakdown of law and order. I do not think the Deputy should use those terms in dealing with the problem although I can understand why he might use the occasional hyperbolic pronouncement to underline a point. I do not accept that there is a break down of law and order and I retail it to the House as a fact that the drop in crime is reflected in the lower number of insurance claims being made. That is not my word; it is the word of the president of the Insurance Institute of Ireland.
Could I ask the Minister to recognise that he has his head in the sand, that he does not realise what is happening outside? Surely, when a man has been tragically killed on the north side of Dublin, he cannot say that kind of thing. That is going a bit too far. The Garda must provide protection for people, protection from crime, from burglars and from violence and they are not being given the resources to do it.
The Deputy must know he is making a speech.
The Minister repeatedly denies that there is a problem.
Not only is the Deputy making a speech but he is into shroud politics in a big way.
If the Minister is not prepared to get out and deal with the problems that exist he should move on to some other Department and get someone else in to do the job.