I thank the Senator for raising this matter on the adjournment. I am speaking on behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality, who regrets that he is unable to be present due to other business. While the incidence of crime is generally lower in rural than in urban areas, I can assure the house that the Minister is 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.
The Minster also shares the widespread outrage at incidents of aggravated burglary in rural areas and is confident that the Gardaí are doing everything in their power to bring the perpetrators of these heinous crimes to justice.
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. In particular, crimes against the person are down including murder (down 8%), as well as assault and related offences (down 9.7%). Public order and damage to property offences are also down (by 13.1% and 10.8% respectively).
Both the Minister and the Garda Commissioner remain concerned about the incidence of burglary and 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.
As of 19 October 2012, 2,493 persons have been arrested and 1,404 persons have been charged as part of the Operation, reflecting the very substantial efforts being made to tackle this problem by the Gardaí. These results show that the Garda Commissioner is effectively deploying the substantial resources available to him in a targeted approach to confront those engaged in this form of criminality.
In addition to the concerted law enforcement efforts which are being pursued by An Garda Síochána, crime prevention is a key strategy in tackling crime, in rural as in all other areas. The Garda National Crime Prevention Unit and Crime Prevention Officers at Divisional level provide advice, information and support to organisations, businesses and individuals aimed at reducing burglary and property crime.
Furthermore, the Garda National Model of Community Policing plays a key part in responding to crime by taking into account and responding to local conditions and needs. Under this model there will be a community policing team in each District, headed up by a Sergeant. Clear objectives will be set, such as high visibility in the community, ease of contact by members of the public, and enhanced support for crime prevention strategies. In this regard the Gardaí continue to work closely with communities to enhance community safety in a wide range of local fora, including through partnership programmes such as Community Alert and Neighbourhood Watch, as well as more formal structures such as Joint Policing Committees.
While the Minister fully understands the concern that communities may have about Garda Station closures, he is convinced that, in providing a modern, effective police force, the emphasis should not be on bricks and mortar. Up until the station closures which took place earlier this year this State had a Garda station network that was mostly unchanged since 1922 and which took no account of modern transportation, communication and policing methods.
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 the Minister’s full support in this regard and has every confidence that he and everyone in the Garda Síochána will continue to deliver an effective police service in rural as in all other areas.