Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

More broadly, An Garda Síochána is moving to a digital structure, which did not exist previously. I acknowledge there has been a huge amount of change in a short time. The new computer-aided dispatch, CAD, system, GardaSAFE, is operational across all regions and is a new departure in the way gardaí respond to calls in which information has been taken and stored. This move is helpful and useful.

On rural crime, Operation Thor was launched in recent years to respond to burglaries. It uses intelligence-led Garda work to identify trends, patterns and statistics to respond effectively to criminals. It is important to have this type of technology. Through Operation Thor, there has been in recent years a significant reduction in burglaries in rural areas, particularly in the winter months between October and March.

Operation Táirge, launched yesterday to look at retail crime, will allow gardaí to use online resources to collate information and data, so when a person is arrested for theft and brought before the courts, it is not only that one case that an individual Garda member might have been dealing with that is brought to court but a number of incidents gathered using the technology now available. It is important we invest in information technology to give gardaí the ability to identify trends, gather data and use it to effectively and proactively police and respond to trends and crimes.

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