THE Taoiseach trenchantly supported the Minister for Justice, Ms Owen, during noisy exchanges about crime on the order of business.

Mr Bruton said that by reorganising the Garda on a regional basis, replacing the Victorian centralised administration she had inherited, Ms Owen was doing something that all her predecessors had failed to do.

He criticised the administration of private security firms, saying they had a measure of responsibility for themselves. "No amount of Government legislation can take away from the security firms the responsibility for their own security," he said.

He was responding to the Fianna Fail and PD spokes persons, Mr John O'Donoghue and Ms Liz O'Donnell.

Ms O'Donnell said nothing should be allowed to take away from the Minister's responsibility to act as Minister for Justice. She asked when the promised legislation to reorganise the Garda representative bodies would be introduced.

Mr Bruton said it was on the way, but it was more important to reorganise the Garda itself. He accused Opposition deputies of "political point scoring".

Mr O'Donoghue said it was not point scoring. If private security firms did not provide adequate security, the Government had a duty to introduce regulations.