Update: Criminal Incidents in Kildare, 8th July 2015

QUESTION NOS:  270, 272 & 277

DÁIL QUESTIONS  addressed to the Minister for Justice and Equality (Deputy Frances Fitzgerald)
by Deputy Bernard J. Durkan
for WRITTEN on Tuesday, 7th July, 2015.   

 
  *  270.  To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the total number of burglaries and / or other crimes reported in each Garda Síochána district or division throughout County Kildare, in the past five years to date; the extent to which the number of reported criminal incidents has fluctuated in the period in question; the action proposed to combat any increase in such incidents of crime; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

                                            – Bernard J. Durkan

*  272.  To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of criminal incidents reported to An Garda Síochána in each Garda Síóchána district and division in County Kildare in the past five years to date; the extent to which deployment of extra and necessary resources is contemplated to deal with any issues arising; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

                                            – Bernard J. Durkan

*  277.  To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the extent to which she and her Department continue to monitor the levels of break-ins to private households and / or commercial premises in County Kildare; the degree to which the number of such crimes has fluctuated in each of the past five years to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

                                            – Bernard J. Durkan

 
REPLY.

As the Deputy will be aware the Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical agency, is responsible for the publication of recorded crime statistics.  I have requested the CSO to provide the available statistics in relation to the matters referred to directly to the Deputy.

The Deputy will appreciate that the specific deployment of Garda resources in relation to the issues referred to is a matter for the Garda authorities. In this regard, I am advised that the allocation of overall Garda resources is kept under continuing review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure these resources are put to the best possible use.  As he will also be aware, thanks to the resumption of recruitment, the Commissioner now has the capacity to deploy new Gardaí for the first time since 2009. The first group of new Gardai which attested in May this year have been stationed around the country, including in the Kildare Garda Division.  Similarly, investments also are being made in vehicles and IT, and in the recruitment of specialist professional staff.  Policing and community safety in Kildare will undoubtedly benefit from this injection of resources, as it will in all other Garda Divisions.  

Insofar as the specific measures in place to tackle burglary are concerned, the position is that Operation Fiacla is the national intelligence and analysis-led Garda operation targeting burglary crimes throughout the country, inlcuding Kildare.  As at end June 2015, the operation had led to the arrest of 13,736 persons with charges being brought against 7,828 persons nationally.

In addition, and arising from a a review I initiated of the criminal justice system’s response to burglary, I published the heads of the Criminal Justice (Burglary of Dwellings) Bill which targets repeat burglary offenders through new measures relating to bail and provisions concerning the imposition of consecutive sentencing for repeat burglary offending.   I can futher advise the Deputy that I remain in ongoing contact with the Garda Commissioner with a view to ensuring that Garda operations are responding effectively to burglary trends, and I have made specific funding available for new specialised vehicles  to support an enhanced operational response by Gardaí to current and emerging crime threats, including burglary offences being committed by highly-mobile gangs.