Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 199: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the average response times for gardaí when dealing with emergency calls in 2005, 2006 and to date in 2007; the average response time for the gardaí to deal with non-emergency calls for the years 2002 to 2006 and to date in 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28771/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by the Garda authorities that Garda response times to emergency and non-emergency calls in the Dublin Metropolitan Area are contained in the table.

Response times refer to the period from receipt of a call by An Garda Síochána to having Gardaí at the scene. I am further informed that statistics other than for the Dublin Metropolitan Region are not readily available and can only be obtained by the disproportionate expenditure of Garda time and resources.

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Question 200: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will report on the effectiveness and application of the adult caution scheme since its introduction in January 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28789/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by the Garda authorities that the background to the introduction of the Adult Caution Scheme was the report of the Public Prosecution System Study Group published in 1999. In order to reduce the volume of cases being brought before the courts the report recommended that a system whereby offenders would be issued with warnings by the Gardaí instead of being prosecuted be introduced.

Offences deemed appropriate for inclusion in the scheme were arrived at through consultations between the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and An Garda Síochána. The scheme operates on a non-statutory basis and under the common law powers of the Garda Síochána. I am informed by the Garda authorities that in 2006 4,294 cautions were issued. From 1 January to 11 November, 2007 there have been 5,876 cautions issued.

The main offences in respect of which cautions were issued are as follows.

Figures provides for 2007 are provisional, operational and liable to change.