Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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189. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if a special Garda operation is still in existence to deal with burglaries; and the action that will be taken to deal with the recent spate of burglaries in the north west of Dublin city. [12723/14]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Garda Operation Fiacla remains in force nationally and specific burglary initiatives continue to be implemented in each Garda Region to target suspected offenders. Operation Fiacla has proven to be a robust and effective response to burglary offences and this is borne out by the latest crime statistics published by the Central Statistics Office which show that the rate of burglary has decreased by 10.4% nationally for twelve months ending 30 September 2013. Garda actions to counteract burglary under Operation Fiacla have led to the arrest of 8,344 persons with 4,755 persons being charged as of 28 February 2014 and this underlines the impact being made by Gardaí under the operation.

In so far as the area referred to the Deputy is concerned, as part of the measures which are coordinated under Operation Fiacla, Operation Acer is in force throughout the Dublin Metropolitan Region, including Dublin Northwest . It is an intelligence driven operation and includes analysis led checkpoints and patrols to target specific areas and case manage targeted offenders. These arrangements are kept under review and local Garda management closely monitor all trends in the incidence of burglary, with adjustments being made on an ongoing basis to maintain the effective focus of the operation.

Operation Acer operates alongside ongoing community policing measures, including problem solving with local communities and ongoing liaison with schools, businesses and households in providing crime prevention advice and assistance to victims of burglary. There is also full engagement with local Neighbourhood Watch and other community groups in the area. I would also draw the Deputy's attention to the recent Garda National Crime Prevention Day of Action (12 March), which focused on promoting a range of measures that householders can take to secure their homes against the threat of burglary.