Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

A number of initiatives have been undertaken by the community relations section of the Garda Síochána during the last ten years in response to crime directed against tourists. Crime prevention cards and booklets are made available to tourists through airports, car hire firms, tourist accommodation and at tourist attractions. These provide information on personal security and give advice on issues such as keeping money safe, where to park safely in urban centres and advice on traffic laws.

There is regular and ongoing contact between the Irish Tourist Assistance Service and the Garda community relations section with the object of further improving the police service for tourists, in particular in such areas as language, cultural and environmental difficulties and unreported crimes. In addition data on crimes reported to the service are made available to inform future policing needs for tourists. Each year Garda divisional officers from the Dublin metropolitan region participate in the annual conference of the service.

The Garda community relations section also provides input to the training needs of the volunteers who provide a service to tourist crime victims. This service was provided with funding totalling €50,000 in 2005 by the Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime and is based in offices provided by the Garda Síochána in its Harcourt Square premises. Neighbourhood policing units in Dublin also provide tourist assistance in areas where criminal activity against tourists is at times a problem.

I am pleased to note that there were significant reductions in 2005 in the incidence of robbery from the person, which was down 23%, and theft from the person, down 18%, the crimes that most affect tourists.

The Garda Síochána this year has the highest level of resources in its history —€1,290 million, which represents an increase of €146 million or 13% on 2005. The provision for Garda overtime in 2006 is €83.5 million, an increase of €23 million on the allocation for 2005. This increase will greatly assist the planned deployment of a visible policing service in a flexible, effective and targeted response to criminal activity and to crime prevention, including criminal activity as it affects tourists. The €83.5 million in overtime will yield 2.725 million extra hours of policing by uniformed and special units throughout the State.

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