Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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22. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of rural crime and the community gardaí (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17115/16]

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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Many Garda stations were closed by a previous Minister and the local garda has been taken out of our communities. The Minister knows one of the most valuable things we can have in a community is a local community-based garda who knows the people living in that community, who is a friend of that community and its different organisations. There is nothing that garda does not know about his local area. That has in many cases been taken away from us. Will the Minister address this in her new term? I congratulate her on her re-appointment and her elevation to Tánaiste.

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I am very aware of the damage done to rural communities by organised gangs engaged in burglary or other criminal activity. The Central Statistics Office official records show a 26.2% decrease in burglary in the last three months of 2015 compared to the same period in 2014.

It is important to acknowledge that where we invest and have targeted operations they can make a difference. The figures are available from around the country and they do vary. It is important to continue the investment. I take the Deputy's point about the engagement of An Garda Síochána with local communities. It is vital from an intelligence point of view and very often gives security to people.

Equally, however, we need gardaí who are mobile and have the right equipment and vehicles. We are also investing in that area. The Garda national model of community policing is a priority and continues to play a key part in responding to crime. As we recruit more gardaí and as we free up more gardaí from other duties which civilians take over, we can ensure that in most communities we will have more community gardaí. The Irish model of policing is built on the gardaí who are in contact around a given area being community police. We do not separate out the titles too much but I take the essential point the Deputy is making about the importance of community policing and developing the community policing model is in the strategy programme for the Garda this year. It is a priority.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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During the term of the last Government, I proved that it was costing more to keep a Garda station closed than open. That is in the Official Report, in black and white. That was a very stark thing to find out at the time when it was being shoved down our throats that it was a question of saving money and better policing.

The statistics from which the Minister is operating are inaccurate and I will give her one clear example why that is the case. The amount of unreported crime going on in our country is amazing. I know of seven people who were victims of crime. I called them to tell them I was conducting a private survey. I wanted to know which of them had reported crimes to local Garda stations. Out of the seven, three had reported the crimes. The other four told me they would not bother. People had oil stolen from their diesel tanks and other such matters. They saw no reason to report such crimes.

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I am making every effort to ensure that the statistics being used are correct. One of the things I did on receiving the report from the Garda Inspectorate was to hold a meeting with the CSO and have detailed discussions about the reliability of the statistics coming from An Garda Síochána. Quite a lot of work has been done. It is important that people have confidence in the published statistics.

I encourage people to report crimes. It is important that gardaí are aware of any crimes committed in an area. Intelligence about one crime leads to the prevention or prosecution of other criminal activity. The Garda needs to have accurate figures about what precisely is happening in communities.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I want to highlight the fact that we are grateful to the Garda which is up against it in the fight against crime. In Kerry, where I am from, mobile criminals are using our motorway network to drive from large centres of population to places in Kerry, at night or by day. They are very organised and local gardaí are making a great effort with the resources they have. I want to acknowledge publicly local gardaí, such as sergeants, superintendents, inspectors and all of those who work in the force. Unfortunately, gardaí have been seriously injured or have died in the line of duty, something this House needs to acknowledge. My final plea is to ask the Minister to ensure gardaí are adequately resourced to fight not just urban but rural crime. It is a slogan that was not used a number of years ago.

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I would like to highlight a number of initiatives that have taken place regarding particular categories of crime that affect rural communities. They include the continuing work of the Garda metal theft forum, which brings key stakeholders together, including farming representatives, to address all forms of metal theft in rural and urban areas and the theft stop partnership with the IFA and Crimestoppers which aims to combat the theft of farm machinery.

An IFA-Crimestoppers initiative provides a reward fund of €10,000 to encourage reports about livestock theft and an awareness campaign to address the theft of electrical cables was launched through Crimestoppers, in partnership with An Garda Síochána and ESB networks. I met some of the rural representative organisations to discuss any other initiatives we can take in regard to rural crime. I am determined to give whatever support I can to rural communities that have been at the receiving end of crimes such as these.