David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 61: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his plans to increase the visibility of An Garda Síochána in small rural towns and villages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14166/08]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Engagement with rural communities and rural policing is one of the priorities of An Garda Síochána. Senior Garda management continually monitor resources and policing initiatives to ensure that the service being provided to these communities by Garda personnel is continuously improving.

As of 31 March, 2008, the latest date for which figures are readily available, there were 13,900 fully attested members of An Garda Síochána with a further 1,306 recruits in training. The combined strength of the force including recruits in training on that date was 15,206.

Staffing levels at Garda stations are monitored by local Garda management to ensure adequate coverage is provided to the areas concerned. Where vacancies arise in rural areas they are filled as expeditiously as possible to ensure continuity in the service being provided by An Garda Síochána to the local community.

I am informed that in order to enhance rural policing a number of initiatives have been implemented in Garda Divisions nationally. Checkpoints are established at strategic locations in rural areas in order to detect criminals travelling to commit crime. Criminals travelling to commit crimes in rural areas have been targeted through intelligence led operations, as a result of which a number of arrests have been made and criminal groups disrupted. Initiatives under Operation Anvil have been implemented in every Garda District in the country, incorporating special crime prevention and detection patrols in rural areas which have been identified as vulnerable to crime. Such patrols include all available Garda resources including uniform and plain-clothes personnel, District Detective and Drug Units as well as Divisional Crime Task Forces and Traffic Corps personnel. Patrol times are also varied in order to maximise coverage in such areas.

Crime Prevention Officers are available to offer crime prevention and security advice to residential and business groups in rural areas and regularly provide such advice through local media outlets such as newspaper and radio broadcasts. The enhanced liaison structures between Garda management and local authorities being established through Joint Policing Committees are of significant benefit to the policing of rural areas, and this will increase as the Committees are rolled out to all local authorities in the near future. Important partnerships in which the Gardaí are involved are the Community Alert Programme and Neighbourhood Watch, national strategies for which for the period 2007-2011 were launched in Autumn 2007. The new strategies include a number of significant improvements. Training has been provided to the sergeants and inspectors most closely involved with the Programmes. In addition, the holding of information seminars is continuing for all liaison Gardaí and scheme coordinators for Garda Districts and Divisions.

My Department provides funding to Muintir na Tíre to operate Community Alert, and An Garda Síochána operate Neighbourhood Watch. In addition, members of local Community Policing Units assist residents in rural areas in establishing and strengthening Community Alert schemes.