Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 299: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of reported assaults in north Kildare; the action proposed in respect of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39950/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I have been informed by the Garda authorities that the tables which follow this reply indicate the relevant figures for the headline offence of assault for each Garda district in the Carlow-Kildare division between 2002, the year in which I became Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, and 30 November 2005. I am pleased that the number of assaults in the division decreased by 28% between 2002 and 2004.

Strong provisions are in place to combat anti-social and unlawful behaviour. The Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994, which modernised the law in this regard, is the primary basis for the law on public order offences. As I am concerned about the abuse of alcohol and its contribution to public order offences and broader social problems, I introduced tough new provisions to deal with alcohol abuse and its effect on public order in the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003. The Act broadens the application of the temporary closure order penalty, which was originally introduced to combat under age drinking. The penalty now also applies to convictions for a series of offences, such as a licensee supplying intoxicating liquor to drunken persons and permitting disorderly conduct on the licensed premises. The main purpose of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 2003, which has been enacted, is to give the Garda Síochána additional powers to deal with late night street violence and anti-social conduct attributable to excessive drinking. It provides for the closure of premises such as pubs, off-licences, nightclubs and food premises, if there is disorder or noise on or close to the premises. Under the 2003 Act, exclusion orders can be served on individuals convicted of a range of public order offences, in addition to any penalty they might receive under the 1994 Act.

I was satisfied by the Government's decision of October last year to approve the recruitment of 2,000 additional gardaí, thereby increasing the strength of the force to 14,000. As a result, in 2006 there will be a combined organisational strength, of attested gardaí and recruits in training, of 14,000. It is clear that additional resources will be targeted at areas of greatest need, as envisaged in the programme for Government, which identifies such areas as those with a significant drugs problem and a large number of public order offences. It will also be possible to address other priorities, such as the need to increase significantly the number of gardaí allocated to traffic law enforcement duties. I have promised that the additional gardaí will not be put on administrative duties, but will be deployed directly in frontline, operational and high-visibility policing.

I am pleased that the Garda Síochána is better resourced than at any time in its history. The funding I secured for the force in the 2006 Estimates is at an historic high of over €1.29 billion, compared to just €600 million in 1997. The provision for Garda overtime in 2006 will be €83.5 million, which represents an increase of €23 million on the allocation for 2005. It will greatly assist the planned deployment of a visible policing service in a flexible, effective and targeted response to criminal activity and crime prevention. The €83.5 million in overtime will yield 2.725 million extra hours of policing by uniformed and special units throughout the State. I am pleased to note a reduction in assault causing harm in 2004 compared with 2003. This trend has continued in 2005 with a 10.5% reduction in assaults causing harm, a 7.8% reduction in intoxicating liquor offences and a 4.4% reduction in public order offences in the third quarter compared to the same period of last year.

The courts can give valuable support and protection to our communities in tackling anti-social behaviour. I am finalising legislative proposals to provide for anti-social behaviour orders. I intend to introduce the proposals as Committee Stage amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill 2004. The Garda will be able to apply to the courts by way of civil procedure for an anti-social behaviour order to prohibit the person who is the subject of the order from behaving in an anti-social way. The orders will be civil orders and the question of an offence will arise only if the person in question wilfully defies the order and continues to engage in the anti-social behaviour which is the subject of the order. Anti-social behaviour orders, which will be used in the most glaring cases, will be of real value in curbing this type of behaviour. I draw the Deputy's attention to section 29 of the Bill, which provides for a fixed penalty procedure in respect of lesser public order offences. This procedure will apply to certain offences under the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 — intoxication in a public place and disorderly conduct in a public place. The figures provided in the table for 2004-05 are provisional, operational and liable to change.