Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 106: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the length of time Operation Anvil has been in existence; the length of time it will remain in existence; the number of overtime hours allocated to Operation Anvil in each of the Garda stations which have participated in Operation Anvil; the average payment to each Garda who has participated in Operation Anvil; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35720/05]

Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 179: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the length of time Operation Anvil has been in existence; the length of time it will remain in existence; the number of overtime hours allocated in each of the Garda stations which have participated in same; the average payment to each Garda who has participated; the number of arrests that have been made, broken down by offence; the number of prosecutions initiated as a result of Operation Anvil, broken down by offence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35950/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 106 and 179 together.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that Operation Anvil commenced in the Dublin metropolitan region on 17 May 2005. Operation Anvil is an ongoing operation. The primary focus of this intelligence driven operation is the targeting of active criminals and their associates involved in serious crime by preventing and disrupting this criminal activity. This is achieved through extensive additional overt patrolling and static checkpoints by uniform mobile and foot patrols, supported by armed plain-clothes patrols. I am further informed that this operation involves a large number of gardaí who are attached to the Dublin metropolitan region and other specialist sections in crime and security branch and the national support services branch.

The amount of overtime being worked by gardaí attached to stations in the Dublin metropolitan region and the specialist sections is not fixed and depends upon operational requirements. Consequently, to maintain operation flexibility, there is no absolute allocation to each Garda station. The Garda authorities inform me that the total number of overtime hours worked on this operation up to the roster ending 23 October was 180,672. The total cost of the operation up to this date amounted to €6,422,684 and for the reasons stated above it is not possible to give the average payment to each Garda involved in this operation.

As with all Garda initiatives introduced in response to circumstances at a particular time, the Commissioner keeps the operation under constant review in the context of the purpose for which it was introduced. However, I am pleased to inform the House that the 2006 Estimates published last week are making available to the Garda Commissioner funding to continue Operation Anvil as long as it is deemed necessary in operational policing terms, and, significantly, to extend the operation to Garda divisions outside Dublin. The Garda authorities inform me that the number of arrests that have been made under Operation Anvil in the Dublin metropolitan region are set out in the following table.

The above figures are exclusive of the first two weeks of the operation as no provision was made to collect this specific data in the statistical template provided for the first two weeks. Information in relation to the number of prosecutions is not readily available, and I will revert to the Deputy when the information is to hand.

I should emphasise that Operation Anvil, while proving very successful, is just one part of a multi-faceted strategy to deal with the problems which it seeks to address. I take great satisfaction in the Government's landmark decision in October 2004 to approve my proposal for the recruitment of 2,000 additional gardaí so as to increase the strength of the force to 14,000. One thing I have already agreed with the Garda Commissioner is that the additional gardaí will not be put on administrative duties but will be put directly into frontline, operational, high-visibility policing such as Operation Anvil.

The Garda Síochána is now better resourced than at any one time in its history. The Garda budget in 2006 will be at an historic high of over €1.29 billion, representing an increase of 109% over the 1997 provision which stood at just under €600 million and an increase of 13% on the amount for 2005.