Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Deputy to forgive me for having a prepared response because the Minister is not present to respond. On behalf of the Minister, I thank the Deputy for availing of the Topical Issue procedure for raising this important issue. I assure her, on behalf of the Minister, that her constructive remarks and suggestions will be noted.

The Minister looks forward to the Oireachtas committee's response to the issues raised in his departmental report on the cash for gold sector. With regard to burglaries, the Minister welcomes the progress being made by An Garda as part of Operation Fiacla, which is focused on identifying and targeting gangs involved in burglaries. Operation Fiacla is intelligence driven. As part of the operation, specific burglary initiatives have been implemented in each Garda region to target suspect offenders. As of 21 January 2013, 3,903 persons have been arrested and 2,142 persons have been charged as part of the operation, showing that the Garda Commissioner is effectively deploying the substantial resources available to him. Furthermore, the latest quarterly figures for burglary, by comparison with those prior to the operation's introduction, suggest the operation is having an impact.

While it is clearly no consolation to those who have had to endure dreadful experiences at the hands of gangs of burglars, it is none the less important to mention that the most recent crime figures show that the number of aggravated burglaries has decreased by over 17% on the previous 12 months. The Garda response to such crimes is robust, and gangs and individuals involved in burglaries are pursued with determination and effectiveness.

With regard to cash for gold operations, it is important that there be a targeted, proportionate and balanced response by the Government to ensure opportunities for criminals to obtain cash for stolen gold and other precious metals are eliminated while not affecting legitimate trade because of the criminal actions of a few. The Minister has indicated that the objective of any actions must be to ensure such businesses are not unknowingly open to abuse by criminal elements.

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