Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 797: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position regarding Operation Anvil; the successes achieved by this operation to date; the cost of Operation Anvil; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29035/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Operation Anvil commenced in the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) on 17 May, 2005 and was extended nationwide in 2006. It is an intelligence led policing initiative, the focus of which is the targeting of active criminals and their associates involved in serious crime by preventing and disrupting their criminal activity through extensive additional overt patrolling and static check points by uniform, mobile and foot patrols, supported by armed plain clothes patrols.

The Operation is augmented by other Garda initiatives, both locally and nationally.

The estimated cost of Operation Anvil, including the cost of overtime, travel and subsistence and other ancillary costs, from June 2005 to the end of June 2008 was in the order of €100 million.

The following table provided by the Garda authorities shows the outcomes from Operation Anvil up to 29 June, 2008 in the DMR. Operation Anvil outside the DMR differs from the DMR, in that operations are focused on shorter periods of time and are designed to address, in a flexible fashion, the particular needs of specific areas. Outside the DMR up to 1 June, 2008, 765 firearms were seized, and 19,119 arrests were made.

All figures are operational and subject to change.