Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I very much understand that burglaries can be traumatic and invasive. They can leave people feeling unsafe and uneasy in their home and community. They very much impact people’s sense of security in their home.

The Deputy will be aware of Operation Thor which tackles burglary and actively targets organised crime gangs and repeat offenders through co-ordinated crime prevention and enforcement activity based on intelligence and the latest burglary trends. Since the operation’s inception in 2015, there has been a sustained reduction in burglary nationwide, on which I commend the Garda. The Garda is rightly scrutinised. This is an area of enormous success by An Garda Síochána.

The overall reported level of burglary in 2022 was 45% lower than pre-Covid-pandemic levels of 2019. The last comparable pre-pandemic year was 2019 and reported burglaries are down by 45%. That is as a result of the sustained intelligence-led approach by the Garda. I pay tribute to it for its concerted efforts, including a recent focused policing operation which resulted in 40 people being brought before the courts and charged with a total of 60 offences, including burglary and associated crime.

I also take the opportunity to draw attention to the Garda crime prevention advice under Operation Thor, which is highlighted through public information campaigns and by Garda prevention officers who do a great job across the country engaging with communities, including the "Lock up, Light up" campaign.

An Garda Síochána also has a free property recording app. Should any items be stolen, the app provides a way of reporting this to An Garda Síochána and gives the public the option to share information with the Garda for this purpose.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Department of Justice provides funding to Muintir na Tíre to cover the costs incurred by community groups in administering the text alert scheme. The text alert scheme enables communities to set up a group to receive alerts advising them of suspicious or criminal activity in their area. As well as ensuring awareness among users of the service, it can also lead to them reporting suspicious activity to the Garda. I encourage anybody watching these proceedings and all Deputies to make their constituents aware that further information on the property marking app, text alert schemes and other crime prevention information can be found on the Garda website, www.garda.ie.

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