The recent rise in burglaries in County Mayo in recent weeks and to ask the Minister to outline his plans to deal with this worrying statistic.
- Deputy Dara Calleary
To discuss the newly released statistics in relation to burglary rates in Dublin and across the country.
- Deputy Niall Collins
I thank the Deputies for raising these important matters.
The latest official crime statistics from the Central Statistics Office show that most types of crime are in fact falling, and this reflects well on the work of An Garda Síochána. Nevertheless, the Garda Commissioner and I remain concerned about the incidence of burglary, which has shown an increase in recent times.
I therefore welcome the progress being made as part of Operation Fiacla, which is running for 12 months initially, with effect from February 2012. The Operation is the subject of regular monitoring and review by senior Garda management and is focused on identifying and targeting gangs involved in burglaries around the country so as to disrupt their activities and bring them before the Courts.
Operation Fiacla is intelligence driven, and specific burglary initiatives have been implemented in each Garda Region to target suspect offenders. In the Dublin area this is given effect through Operation Acer, with Operation Aimsir running in the Western Region. As of 19 October 2012, almost 2,500 persons have been arrested and over 1,400 persons have been charged as part of the Operation Fiacla, reflecting the very substantial efforts being made to tackle this problem by the Gardaí.
These operations are backed up by good community policing and crime prevention advice which An Garda Síochána is in a position to provide throughout the country. An excellent example of this is the recent launch of the "Home Safe Home" campaign initiated by An Garda Síochána in Dublin, and supported by the Dublin City Joint Policing Committee, (JPC). This campaign advises homeowners on a range of simple but very important home security measures. I wish to commend and acknowledge this type of coordinated and collaborative effort being made by the Gardaí, the local authority and others on the JPC, working with the support of the local community. I am very appreciative of the efforts of all concerned in this important and timely campaign. Similar supports are available throughout the country, with An Garda Síochána working closely with Community Alert, Neighbourhood Watch and other local groups to provide crime prevention advice and assistance.
In relation to the situation in Mayo, I am aware of reports of a number of recent burglaries and suggestions that these incidents appear to be linked. This is precisely the sort of scenario which Operation Fiacla is designed to tackle and I have every confidence that Garda management is responding effectively. While the incidence of crime is generally lower in rural than in urban areas, I am certainly very conscious of the deep distress which burglary and similar crimes can cause to householders in rural areas, and the broader impact it can have in terms of fear of crime in our communities.
I am confident that Garda efforts coordinated under Operation Fiacla are making the desired impact and this should be reflected in forthcoming crime statistics.
The Government’s commitment to supporting the Gardaí is underlined by my recent announcement of €3 million funding for new Garda vehicles. This will provide an additional 170 new vehicles which will greatly enhance Garda capacity to provide an effective policing service throughout the country.
It is the Government's intention to ensure that frontline services are maintained at the highest level possible through the most efficient use of resources. The Commissioner has my full support in this regard and I have every confidence that he and everyone in the Garda Síochána will continue to deliver an effective police service in both rural and urban areas.