Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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With all due respect to the Minister of State, Deputy Perry, it is very disappointing the Minister for Justice and Equality cannot be present to hear the very real concerns of the people of Donegal. I suggest it shows the priority Donegal is receiving in regard to these incidents in the county in recent weeks and months. While there may be a Cabinet meeting ongoing, the Minister for Justice and Equality does not have any role in terms of job creation. In fact, with Garda numbers declining, it is probably unemployment creation that is his role.

It has been clear for some time that there is a major issue with burglaries targeting the elderly in Donegal. The burglary and assault of a number of elderly people this week, as well as recent such incidents involving an 84 year old woman and the brutal attack on a 96 year old woman, are utterly despicable. Unfortunately, this has been an ongoing problem for some time. I highlighted this issue to the Taoiseach in the Dáil late last year on Leaders' Questions, but it obviously fell on deaf ears and we are now seeing the brutal consequences of the Government's attack on rural Ireland.

Donegal has already seen cuts to the Garda presence, which has led to the havoc we are now experiencing. With a further five stations to close this year, I am seriously concerned as to how such incidents will be dealt with in the future, as gardaí appear to be struggling to cope with the current spate of vicious burglaries. We have already heard how the Minister, Deputy Shatter, has been assured by the Garda Commissioner that it is an absolute priority to bring the people responsible to justice and that the Garda is devoting all necessary resources to that end. If they are relying on the resources available in Donegal, they will not have much hope. These criminals have no fear because they know they will not be caught, as matters stand. The only answer is to increase the Garda presence and prevent any further closures of Garda stations so a clear message is sent out that this barbaric behaviour will not be tolerated in Donegal.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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I too have to say, on behalf of the elderly people of Donegal, it is an absolute disgrace that the Minister for Justice and Equality is not here to answer this very important question from three Donegal Deputies. I sat in my office in Leinster House to watch "Prime Time" when Miriam O'Callaghan interviewed Phyllis McGee, a very brave woman, who was robbed not once but twice in her home in Pettigo. The next morning, I got a message from Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn to tell me there were two more robberies in Inishowen. As people were sitting back, some in tears, watching Phyllis McGee's bravery, criminal gangs were out preparing to rob elderly people in other parts of Donegal.

The Minister, Deputy Shatter, went to the media and said the closure of rural Garda stations will ensure more gardaí are on the beat in Donegal and other areas. That is nothing but bull. Let us look at the facts. Some 31 gardaí have been taken from the Donegal service in 2012 alone and 24 gardaí have been taken off the street and put in offices. The station in Pettigo does not have a garda assigned to it. Ten years ago, 12 gardaí were assigned there, eight years ago there were four and there were two until recent years. Now, there is none.

No wonder criminals see the likes of Phyllis Magee as an easy target in rural Border communities. The Minister needs to do more than spin. He should be before this House telling elderly, vulnerable people in Donegal and other communities what his strategy is to ensure that the gardaí are resourced to the best of his ability to ensure that these crimes do not happen in the first place and that when they do happen that the perpetrators will be caught.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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For the second day in a row the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter has given two fingers to the people of Donegal. He shamefully went on Highland Radio, our local radio station in Donegal yesterday and said that Donegal is not a unique case. Elderly people have been robbed. There has been aggravated burglary, people are attacked in their own homes from the Inishowen Peninsula right down to Pettigo and Donegal town and through east Donegal. Elderly people across Donegal, particularly those living alone, are terrified. They are looking for a clear plan. The gardaí on the ground in Donegal say they do not have the resources or the vehicles to deal with this. I am not talking about the superintendents and the top brass who always say the Government is doing the right thing. We need the Minister to intervene. We do not need two fingers shown to the people of our county. We need a clear indication of how he will resource the gardaí, bring in specialists and deal with this rampant criminality and send a clear message to the people of the county, particularly elderly citizens, that they will be adequately protected.

John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I wish to thank the Deputies for raising these important matters. I am speaking on behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality, who regrets that he is unable to be present today as he is chairing a meeting of the Informal Justice and Home Affairs Council in Dublin Castle as part of our EU Presidency programme.

The Minister is very conscious of the deep distress which burglary and similar crimes can cause to householders in both urban and rural areas, as well as the broader impact it can have in terms of fear of crime in our communities. He also shares the widespread outrage at the recent incidents of aggravated burglary, and he is fully confident that the Garda is doing everything in its power to bring the perpetrators of these appalling crimes to justice. In particular, the Minister has kept in close touch with Garda Commissioner Callinan about these recent attacks. The Commissioner has assured the Minister that it is an absolute priority for himself and his force that the people involved will be brought to justice as quickly as possible. An Garda Síochána is devoting all the resources necessary to achieve this.

The Garda is taking a number of operational measures to deal with this problem, including additional patrols and checkpoints, dissemination of intelligence within the force concerning potential suspects and further close co-operation with the PSNI. For obvious reasons the Minister cannot go into detail publicly about these operations but one thing is clear: whatever steps are necessary, within the law, to deal with these attacks are being taken and being taken urgently. Based on its track record, we have every reason to believe that the Garda will be successful in its efforts. In particular, the Minister welcomes the progress being made as part of Operation Fiacla, which is focused on identifying and targeting gangs involved in burglaries. Operation Fiacla is intelligence driven and, as part of that operation, specific burglary initiatives have been implemented in each Garda region to target suspect offenders. As of 31 December 2012, 3,538 persons have been arrested and 1,924 persons have been charged as part of Operation Fiacla, showing that the Garda Commissioner is effectively deploying the substantial resources available to him. Furthermore, the latest quarterly figures for burglary suggest that Operation Fiacla is having an impact, when compared with the quarterly figures prior to its introduction.

While clearly it is no consolation to those who have had to endure dreadful experiences at the hands of gangs of burglars, it is nonetheless important to mention that the most recent crime figures show that the number of aggravated burglaries has gone down 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 arid effectiveness. Of course, there are changes to the way policing is being managed and the Minister appreciates that people have concerns about this. The priority in all the changes being made is to ensure that we have an effective and professional policing service provided to the community, throughout the country. Until recently, the Garda station network was essentially the same as the RIG network which obtained in 1922, and clearly this was not appropriate to the policing needs of the 21st century or consistent with modern policing practice.

The Garda Síochána now has a class-leading police computer system, a state-of-the-art digital radio system and a transport fleet which is currently receiving significant investment. An additional investment of €3 million in the Garda fleet towards the end of 2012 has resulted in more than170 new vehicles being purchased. These vehicles are currently entering into service. A further €5 million has been made available for the purchase and fit-out of new Garda vehicles in 2013. This substantial investment will contribute in a significant way to the ability of the force to operate to the optimum benefit of our communities throughout the country.

The Garda national policing plan for 2013 outlines the Commissioner's proposals for the continued reorganisation and consolidation of the Garda station and district network. After the closure of 100 Garda stations in 2013, there will still be 564 Garda stations in the State. That will be significantly more than comparable jurisdictions, such as Northern Ireland, where there are 86 stations with a population of 1.5 million people, or Scotland, where there are around 340 stations for a population of 5.2 million. The essential point of the Garda Commissioner's strategy for re-organisation and consolidation is to make the best use of our well-trained gardaí and in particular to maximise their time on operational duties.

This is precisely what is required in order to respond effectively to these shocking recent incidents and the Garda has the full confidence of the Minister and the Government in the way it is tackling these challenges. I am sure all in this House would wish to acknowledge the continuing efforts and achievements of An Garda Síochána, on behalf of our communities.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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The Minister of State outlined the so-called success of Operation Fiacla. I am sure that if he could point to a reduction in burglaries and aggravated burglaries in Donegal he would have included that statistic in his response today. Aggravated burglaries in Donegal have probably gone up by hundreds of per cent over the past year and over the same period that Operation Fiacla has been running. The Minister needs to address this issue straight away in Donegal and provide the resources necessary for the gardaí to deal with this issue. He talks about the new investment in the Garda fleet. These are not new vehicles. They are replacement vehicles, replacing fewer vehicles than have been taken out of commission. The Minister needs to make sure that the resources are available to change the situation that has existed for the past few months in Donegal where in west Donegal a squad car had to travel over 40 miles to attend a very serious incident and in Inishowen a garda had to hitch a lift to attend a burglary. That is what the gardaí face in Donegal and the Minister needs to address it immediately.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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Unfortunately, there is little in what the Minister of State has said that will give comfort to elderly people in Donegal. I know this comes in waves and depends which gangs are operating but Phyllis Magee was robbed twice and individuals in Buncrana, Inishowen, Raphoe have also been robbed. I spoke recently to a relative of somebody who had passed away who told me that the deceased had been robbed a couple of weeks previously and went downhill completely. Unfortunately, a deceased relative of mine, a very elderly woman, was robbed. These people talk about the invasion of their personal space, their house and rooms, and how difficult it is for them to return afterwards. There is nothing of comfort in the Minister’s response to deal with the crisis in Donegal. No garda has been assigned to Pettigo Garda station since 2011. Will the Government ask the Commissioner to overturn this decision?

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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The national broadcaster went to film "Prime Time" in Phyllis Magee’s house. All the national radio stations and newspapers have focused on Donegal. They can see that we have a crime emergency in the county. Yet the Minister for Justice and Equality said on our local radio station that nothing unique is happening there.

He could have delegated his Minister of State to cover the business in Dublin Castle in order to come to County Donegal, but he is out of touch. Perhaps the Minister of State, Deputy Perry, will communicate to the Minister that people on the ground in Donegal, particularly our elderly citizens, are terrified. They need to see clear, decisive leadership and a clear priority being given to the county until this matter is sorted out. No amount of spin about Garda numbers, vehicles, stations and rosters will cut it, because we know both from gardaí on the ground and from the GRA, which has destroyed the spin during the past year, that these assertions do not stand up to scrutiny. Let this matter be a priority and let the Minister show decisive leadership and take action to deal with it as soon as possible.

John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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The Minister, Deputy Shatter, is very much in touch. He is chairing an EU meeting in Dublin Castle today, an obligation of the EU Presidency. On commitment, the Minister has been in constant contact with the Garda Commissioner, Martin Callinan. The resources of the State are being made available. The new cars are replacements for existing cars and are not additional, but they are brand new and are a big investment in the road fleet. The Minister empathises totally with the victims of crime. The fact is that 1,900 people have been arrested and charged and more than 3,000 have been brought in as suspects. Operation Fiacla is very effective. Major surveillance is going on at present and I assure the Deputy that the Garda Síochána currently has resources available. The Commissioner is more than happy that he is dealing with the matter very effectively.

I know about this only too well, being from an adjoining county. There have been incidents in south and west Sligo and this is a concern, particularly in west Sligo. However, the superintendent on hand has dealt with it. The people involved were members of one gang that carried out a series of robberies, and they have been apprehended. There is a big role here for community also. It is about community policing, and the State gets very good co-operation on the ground from the community. The Minister, Deputy Shatter, wishes to ensure the matter will be dealt with and I assure the Deputy that it will be.