Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy brought it up. Everyone on all sides of the House is aware that it is possible for individuals or groups involved in crime to move rapidly from one part of the country to another. For this reason, the Garda has undertaken a special operation to target those involved in such crimes which, I suggest to the Deputy, not only affect the rural areas about which he speaks but all suburban areas in towns and cities also. This is one of the changes in how criminals operate. I note the significant success of the Garda operation, Operation Fiacla, as a consequence of which between April and December 2012 a total of 3,538 people were arrested and 1,925 people were charged. As part of this debate there is a real issue in terms of how our police force operates. Yesterday we saw at the funeral of Detective Garda Donohoe a magnificent and moving demonstration of how the community, the country and the State stand by gardaí as gardaí have stood by their country. Operation Fiacla probably represents one of the best developments in Garda management and the fight against crime. It shows, in terms of results and the number of arrests, the numbers being brought before the courts and the decline in the number of burglaries.

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