Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue. I am speaking on behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality who regrets very sincerely that she cannot be present for the debate this afternoon.

The Minister wishes to thank the Deputy for raising this matter for debate today. I think everyone in the House can appreciate the particular difficulty and distress caused to people who are unfortunate enough to become victims of crime while travelling abroad. The Minister shares the common concern to ensure that visitors to this country have a positive experience and, where a crime does occur against a tourist, that we provide as much support and assistance as possible.

As the Deputy will appreciate, policing strategy in Dublin city centre and elsewhere and the deployment of relevant Garda resources is a matter for the Garda authorities. However, the Minister is committed to supporting An Garda Síochána in providing a strong, visible policing presence throughout the country, to help reduce crime, including crimes committed against tourists.

The specific policing response to the incidence of crime in Dublin city is incorporated in the ongoing implementation of the Dublin city centre policing plan. This involves a high-visibility uniformed presence on key thoroughfares, as well as the use of undercover gardaí as appropriate. Gardaí are maintaining a particular focus on drug dealing and drug related crime, to which the Deputy has referred, in the city centre area. A number of targeted city centre policing operations are in place, including Operation Pier, which concentrates on the south quays and Temple Bar areas and Operation Spire which is focused on O'Connell Street and the north inner city. There is also a specific public order unit which operates on a reactive basis as the need arises.

The Minister is very much aware of the impact of crime and related anti-social behaviour in the city centre. In December last year, she met representatives of the Dublin City Centre Business Forum to hear their concerns at first hand. Crimes against tourists are of particular concern to many businesses in the city at a time when all concerned are redoubling their efforts to encourage tourism as an important part of the process of economic recovery. It is important, therefore, that the key agencies adopt a co-ordinated, cross-cutting approach to address not just the incidence of crime in the city but also many of the wider underlying societal issues. Clearly, these issues encompass far more than policing issues, and the context for finding solutions must, therefore, encompass a co-ordinated approach. This is precisely the approach that is being pursued in a partnership between Dublin City Council, An Garda Síochána, the HSE and the Dublin Region Homeless Executive. Important initiatives include a new multi-agency street outreach approach, which is being used to work with vulnerable and high-risk individuals, particularly having regard to substance abuse. An offender management programme is being piloted to address repeat offending in the Dublin city area. These measures, combined with the Government's initiatives to tackle homelessness, are helping to address the broader aspects underlining crime and anti-social behaviour in the city centre.

Unfortunately, it is a fact that in any city that attracts a large number of tourists, such as Dublin, there will from time to time be crime against tourists. For more than 20 years, the Irish Tourist Assistance Service, ITAS, has offered support and assistance to tourists who become victims of crime while visiting Ireland. ITAS is a registered charity with a voluntary board of directors representing tourism-related sectors. It is run by staff and volunteers. Since its inception in 1994, the service has assisted over 11,000 tourists. The service offers support and information to tourists in the immediate aftermath of a crime. It operates throughout Ireland and provides a helpline service offering information to tourists in the aftermath of crime. Practical assistance consists mainly of mediation and practical help to replace passports and travel documentation. The service organises money transfers when tourists have had their case or cards stolen. In an emergency, ITAS can arrange accommodation, transport and meals for stranded tourists.

The Minister would like to return to the core provision for policing and tackling crime. The budget provision for 2015 for the justice sector saw the first year-on-year budget increase since 2008, involving a total expenditure increase of €141 million, including a 68% rise in capital funding. Together with the resumption of Garda recruitment since September last year, this clearly underlines the Minister's commitment to support An Garda Síochána in tackling crime in all its forms, working in partnership with other agencies and communities.

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