Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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361. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to address the continuous crisis of violent burglaries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32826/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I can assure the Deputy that I am committed to tackling burglary on a number of fronts and through a partnership approach between criminal justice agencies and the community. I have carried out a broad and urgent review of the criminal justice system's response to the problem of burglaries, including a focus on interagency measures in relation to the management of prolific offenders, visible policing, crime prevention support for communities, and an examination of legislative issues.

On foot of this review, I published the Criminal Justice (Burglary of Dwellings) Bill, 2015, which is before the Houses of the Oireachtas this week. The Bill targets repeat burglary offenders through bail measures and provisions concerning the imposition of consecutive sentencing for repeat burglary offending. The key objective of this legislation is to target a cohort of persistent offenders who are responsible for a great number of burglaries and clearly have no concern for the damage and distress which they inflict on others. I hope to have this new legislation enacted as soon as possible.

Insofar as the specific policing measures in place to tackle burglary are concerned, the Garda strategy to counter burglaries and related crimes has been coordinated under Operation Fiacla, which is the national operation targeting burglary using an intelligence and analysis-led approach. This sustained Garda campaign against burglary, which incorporates burglary related Operations in each Garda Division has resulted in many successes in disrupting those involved in this type of criminality. As of 31 August 2015, Operation Fiacla had led to 14,381 arrests, with 8,181 charges being brought against suspects.

I am also in ongoing contact with the Commissioner with a view to ensuring that the policing response is as effective as can be and that Garda operations take account of evolving trends and patterns in burglary offences. In this regard, I have made specific funding available for new specialised vehicles and technology to support an enhanced operational response by Gardaí to current and emerging crime threats, including burglary offences being committed by highly-mobile gangs.

Furthermore, the resumption of Garda recruitment and the deployment of newly attested Gardaí are key components in providing well resourced and visible policing throughout the country and supporting enhanced community safety. Between September 2014 and the end of this year 550 new recruits will have entered the Garda College in Templemore, and the Government remains committed to ongoing recruitment in 2016, providing communities throughout the country with the reassurance that comes from a visible and determined police force.