Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 203: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of up and coming young criminals who have come to the attention of the gardaí in the various garda divisions here in the past 12 months; the number of those who have shown a potential for serious criminal activity in the future; the number who have been prosecuted or in respect of whom prosecutions are pending; the number who have to date been before the courts more than once; the number who have committed one or several offences or have served more than one prison sentence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14746/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I presume the Deputy is referring to young persons under 18 years of age who have come into conflict with the law when he mentions "young criminals". The Children Act 2001, as amended, provides the framework for dealing with children who come into conflict with the law. Comprehensive statistics on the number of children who have come into conflict with the law in 2008 are not readily available. However much of the detail requested by the Deputy is available for 2007 and earlier years in the annual reports of the Committee Appointed to Monitor the effectiveness of the Diversion Programme as set out in Part 4 of the Children Act 2001, as amended. The Report for 2007 was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 18 December 2008. The reports for the years 2004 to 2007 are also readily available on the Irish Youth Justice Service website (www.iyjs.ie).

In February this year, the Central Statistics Office published a report on Garda Recorded Crime Statistics 2003-2007. This report gives a breakdown, by age, of the number of persons convicted of offences in 2007, including those under 18 years of age. This report is available on the Central Statistics Office website (www.cso.ie).In the time available it has not been possible to collate the balance of the information requested by the Deputy. I will communicate further with the Deputy when the information sought is to hand.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 205: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if criminal gangs here are supplying weapons for criminal purposes to persons in other jurisdictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14748/09]

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

I am informed by the Garda authorities that they have no reason to believe that organised criminal gangs in Ireland are supplying firearms for criminal purposes to persons in other jurisdictions.

One of the priorities I have set for An Garda Síochána in 2009 is the targeting of serious crime, in particular organised, gun and drug related crime. The Garda Policing Plan for 2009 consequently contains a series of measures aimed at reducing the impact of crime and criminal behaviour. These goals are backed up by strategic actions which include a commitment to continue and intensify intelligence-led operations against groups and individuals engaged in criminality.

An Garda Síochána maintains close liaison with other law enforcement agencies throughout Europe and elsewhere, exchanging information and intelligence, including on Irish criminals living abroad. This ongoing liaison has led to a number of successful joint operations, targeting attempted importations of drugs and firearms and resulting in a number of significant arrests here and in other jurisdictions.

Where intelligence, supported by evidence, is available, law enforcement agencies in other jurisdictions put operations in place, as appropriate, to prevent and detect such criminality. Where information exists that a persons who is wanted in relation to a particular crime in this jurisdiction is living abroad and the relevant legal requirements are met, a European Arrest Warrant is applied for or extradition is sought.

Operations against organised criminal gangs operating in this jurisdiction are undertaken on an ongoing basis. The members of such gangs and their operating methods, criminal interests and financial assets are the subject of such operations, which are primarily undertaken by specialist units of An Garda Síochána, including the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Garda National Drugs Unit, the Organised Crime Unit and the Criminal Assets Bureau.

In particular, Operation Anvil commenced in the Dublin Metropolitan Region in 2005 to deal with serious crime, including murder and other violent crime, and was extended nationwide in 2006. The primary focus of the Operation 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 checkpoints by uniform, mobile and foot patrols, supported by armed plain clothes patrols.

Under Operation Anvil, up to 22 March, 2009, 2,400 firearms have been recovered. There have also been over 7,000 arrests for serious crimes such as murder, serious assault, robbery and burglary and over 70,000 searches for weapons, drugs and stolen goods. In this way, the Gardaí will continue to address the issue of illegal guns relentlessly.