Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

There have been 20 murders with firearms since the beginning of this year to 6 December. There were 19 murders with firearms recorded for the same period in 2005. While any level of murder, by a firearm or otherwise, is unacceptable, it is incorrect to state there has been an upsurge in firearms murders this year. Sadly, it is roughly the same as it was last year.

Operation Anvil is central to the strategy of the Garda Síochána in combating serious crime and, in particular, murder. The operation which commenced in the Dublin metropolitan region in May 2005 and was subsequently extended nationwide at my request has proved to be very successful in disrupting the criminal activities of a number of key criminal gangs. It has resulted in a number of high profile arrests and the acquisition of intelligence on the movements of criminals. Notable improvements have been achieved in the recorded number of incidents of crime being targeted by the operation. I am pleased to note that the number of offences of discharging a firearm was stable in the third quarter of this year, the most recent full quarter. Operation Anvil has contributed significantly to this and also to the increase in that quarter in the number of detections of offences of possession of drugs for sale or supply and of cultivation, manufacture or importation of drugs, which are clearly associated with many murders using firearms.

The most recent figures available indicate that since the introduction of Operation Anvil, 549 firearms have been seized in the Dublin metropolitan region. Up to 19 November, Operation Anvil resulted in more than 3,350 arrests for the serious crimes of murder, robbery, burglary and serious assaults, including 56 arrests in connection with murder, in the Dublin metropolitan region. Outside the Dublin metropolitan region, up to 1 November, 2,600 persons had been arrested and 238 firearms seized. It is not, therefore, a question of nothing happening.

In November 2005 the Garda Commissioner augmented the organised crime unit at the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation with an additional 55 gardaí to address the problem of criminal gang activity. Enforcement by the unit has resulted in further firearms being seized and a number of persons being arrested, thereby disrupting criminal plans. There has also been an increase in Garda monitoring and targeting of individuals and groups involved in armed crime, in particular.

Following the completion of the weapons amnesty on 31 October, the mandatory minimum sentences for possession of firearms came into effect on 1 November.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

The penalties available to the courts have now been greatly strengthened and stringent penalties apply.

I am very satisfied with the outcome of the 2007 Estimates process. The allocation for the Garda Vote is increasing by €135.3 million to €1.445 billion, an increase of 10% on the figure for 2006. This year's budget, in turn, represented an increase of 13% on that for 2005 and an increase of 85% in real terms since 1997. The additional overtime allocation included will yield almost 3 million extra man hours of policing by uniformed and special units throughout the State. As a result, innovative and targeted anti-crime strategies and operations such as Operation Anvil will be continued and intensified on a nationwide basis. This budgetary increase demonstrates the Government is continuing to provide record resources for anti-crime strategies.

The Government is also committed to increasing the strength of the Garda Síochána. I am informed that the personnel strength of the Garda Síochána increased to a record 13,000 on 16 November, following the attestation of 299 new members. This compares with a total strength of 10,702 on 30 June 1997 and represents an increase of 21.5%, or 2,298 in the personnel strength of the force in the period since. The induction of 280 new Garda recruits to the Garda College on 6 November resulted in a combined strength of both attested gardaí and recruits in training of 14,137. Next year will see more than 275 fully trained gardaí graduating from the Garda College every quarter, allowing the Commissioner to focus a highly visible policing presence throughout the country.

I stress that all killings, regardless of the background of the victim or the method of killing, are the subject of a rigorous investigation by the Garda authorities.

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