David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I again thank the Deputy for raising this important matter and I will be sure to pass on his comments to the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality for her consideration. We are all concerned about the kind of activity the Deputy has brought to our attention. It is very disconcerting for older people who find themselves in those situations.

The Deputy described it as opportunistic crime. I am sure he is encouraging people to report all crime. It is important to report all crime, no matter how small, because we then get a picture of what is going on and the Garda gets a picture of what is going on so they can apprehend people.

We must all remain vigilant in the fight against all forms of criminality in our communities. The Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality and the Garda Commissioner remain in ongoing contact on the deployment of Garda resources in line with new and emerging crime trends. The criminals are learning to change too, as we know. Operation Thor has proved to be successful to date. The Government remains committed to ensuring the Garda has the necessary resources to tackle crime, not only in County Kerry but in all our communities. Underpinning all these measures is the Government's commitment to ensuring a strong and visible police presence across the country to maintain and strengthen community engagement, provide reassurance to citizens and deter crime. The Government has in place a plan to achieve an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 personnel by 2021, comprising 15,000 Garda members, 2,000 Garda Reserve members and 4,000 civilians.

I thank the Deputy for bringing this matter to our attention. We must always remain vigilant and ensure crime is reported, as well as informing people what they can do to protect their property to deter opportunistic criminals. As the Deputy said, burglars gained entry to his premises when there was no one at home. We must do everything to prevent that and to get people to report crime. The Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality is taking this matter seriously and the Deputy’s comments will be noted.

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