John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 432: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the amount of additional Garda hours provided in Clondalkin and Ronanstown under Operation Anvil; and the results achieved under this operation in Clondalkin and Ronanstown. [29943/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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Operation Anvil commenced in the Dublin Metropolitan Region on 17 May, 2005 with a view to addressing the problem of serious crime such as gun crime, robberies, burglaries and combating an emerging gun culture. At my request Operation Anvil was extended outside the Dublin Metropolitan Region during 2006. For the purposes of Operation Anvil Ronanstown and Clondalkin Garda sub-Districts are treated as a single operational area. At present the total number of additional hours available to Ronanstown and Clondalkin Garda sub-Districts is 4,360 hours per month. The following table which shows the statistics for Operation Anvil in the Ronanstown and Clondalkin Garda sub-Districts up to 17 September, 2006 indicates that the Operation has contributed to encouraging successes across a number of headings:

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 433: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the cost of Operation Anvil to date; and the success achieved by the Garda during Operation Anvil. [29944/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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Operation Anvil commenced in the Dublin Metropolitan Region on 17 May, 2005 with a view to addressing the problem of serious crime such as gun crime, robberies and burglaries and combating an emerging gun culture. At my request Operation Anvil was extended outside the Dublin Metropolitan Region during 2006. I have also obtained funding to enable Operation Anvil to continue as long as it is deemed necessary in operational policing terms. All operational personnel in the Dublin Metropolitan Region may be employed on Operation Anvil as the need arises. Personnel from the Garda National Units are also deployed on the Operation as appropriate. The net incremental cost of the Operation from its commencement to 31 August, 2006 is €19.49m. This figure includes the cost of overtime, travel and subsistence and other ancillary costs.

The following table, which shows the statistics for Operation Anvil up to 10 September, 2006 in the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR), indicates that the Operation has contributed to encouraging successes across a range of headings:

In addition I am informed that a series of special operations, proposed by each Regional Assistant Commissioner and designed to focus on areas and incidents of high crime, have been initiated outside the Dublin Metropolitan Region. These operations have generally a short time focus, with specific targets identified. A number of these have been completed, while further operations are ongoing. Outside the Dublin Metropolitan Region, 1,683 people have been arrested and 135 firearms have been seized.