Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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502. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will allocate additional resources to Tallaght Garda station to allow for effective action to be taken in respect of the increase in house burglaries in recent times; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1304/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of personnel, among the Garda Regions, Divisions, and Districts. Garda management keep this distribution under continuing review taking into account crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the best possible use is made of these resources. I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the number of stations and the number of Gardaí assigned to Tallaght Garda station on the 30 November 2015, the latest date for which figures are readily available, was 176.

This Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the capacity to provide effective and visible policing throughout the country. A crucial element of the Government's strategy is ensuring ongoing seamless recruitment to renew An Garda Síochána. With this in mind Budget 2016 made provision for the recruitment of 600 new Gardaí this year bringing to 1,150 the number of new Gardaí who will have been recruited since the reopening of the Garda College in Templemore in September 2014. So far 295 of these new recruits have been fully attested and are undertaking Garda duties in communities nationwide. I am assured by Garda management that the needs of all Garda Divisions are fully considered when determining the allocation of newly attested Gardaí and in this context I have been informed by the Commissioner that of these newly attested Probationer Gardaí, 19 have been assigned to the DMR South, with 5 stationed in Tallaght.

I am very pleased that the 2016 recruitment campaign announced last November and which closed on 6 January has attracted strong interest with in the region of 16,500 applications received by the Public Appointments Service which is organising the competition on behalf of the Garda Commissioner.

As Minister for Justice and Equality, I share the Deputy's concern over the incidents of crime in both rural and urban areas. In relation to emerging crime trends, Operation Thor, which was launched by the Garda Commissioner last year, is a multi-stranded national operation which builds on previous and current Garda operations to tackle crime, particularly burglaries the number of which, as we know, increase with the advent of the long winter nights, in both urban and rural communities nationwide. Operation Thor is made possible by the increased investment in policing by this Government, including an allocation of €5 million to specifically support this new Operation. It entails a broad range of activities to tackle burglars, organised crime gangs and prolific offenders as well as working with communities to prevent crime. These activities include: additional high-visibility patrols in identified burglary hot-spots; increased use of checkpoints to tackle the criminal gangs using the national road network; the use of new high powered vehicles by the armed Regional Response Units; efforts to disrupt the stolen goods market; programmes to help reduce re-offending by prolific offenders; a high-profile national crime prevention awareness campaign; and targeted crime prevention advice for local communities and enhanced supports for victims. I am confident that this comprehensive operation by An Garda Síochána, supported by Government investment in Garda resources and personnel, will disrupt the activities of burglars, organised crime gangs and prolific offenders and will improve the safety of all our communities across the country.

I am especially conscious of the distress that burglary-related crime can cause to householders as well as the broader impact that the fear of crime can have in our communities, both urban and rural. In response to these issues, Criminal Justice (Burglary of Dwellings) Bill 2015 has now been enacted and will be commenced in the very near future. This Act seeks to ensure that prolific burglars can be refused bail in appropriate cases. The key objective of this legislation is to target a cohort of persistent offenders who prey on law-abiding householders and clearly have no concern for the damage and distress that they inflict on other people. The Act is designed to keep these repeat burglars off the streets and to improve the safety of our communities.