Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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8. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress of Operation Thor; if she has provided additional resources or sanction for the allocation of resources to facilitate it in fulfilling its objectives; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3034/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Operation Thor, which was launched on 2 November 2015, is a multi-strand national anti-crime and anti-burglary operation which has been facilitated by the very significant investments in Garda resources which have been made by this Government. Operation Thor entails a broad range of activities to tackle burglars, organised crime gangs and prolific offenders as well as working with communities to prevent crime.

Operation Thor delivers on increased investment in policing by this Government, and marks a significant step-up in the policing response to burglaries and related crime. In particular, the Government has ended the moratorium on Garda recruitment, with 1,150 Gardaí being recruited. €34 million has been invested in new Garda vehicles since 2012 with over 640 new vehicles coming onstream in 2015, ranging from more Garda patrol cars to high-powered vehicles for armed units. This will ensure Gardaí can be mobile, visible and responsive on the roads and in the community. The Government is also investing in airborne surveillance and enhanced technology and ICT systems.

In addition, a further allocation, in excess of €5 million, has being committed to support Operation Thor. This allocation, which includes funding for Garda overtime is supporting a combination of additional patrols, checkpoints, rapid armed response and public awareness measures.

While it will take some time to properly assess its impact on crime, the Garda authorities have reported very positive operational feedback since the launch of Operation Thor on 2 November. This is underlined by a significant series of arrests in various locations around the country as part of planned Garda operations, as well as charges being brought against numerous individuals. Operation Thor has led to the arrest of particular target suspects in relation to burglary, and arrests connected to crimes committed by mobile criminal groups, as well as handling stolen property, possession of firearms and drugs offences. Early operational feedback from the Garda authorities indicates that since its launch on 2 November, Operation Thor has made a significant impact on burglary rates with an estimated decrease in burglary of 34% when compared to the same period the previous year. These figures will of course be subject to further analysis and verification by the CSO before the full official crime figures for 2015 are published.

The early successes under Operation Thor have been achieved by targeting key suspects, patrolling of crime 'hot spots' and creating a general public awareness of the need for crime prevention measures. There has been concentrated Garda activity including 10,120 anti-crime patrols and 13,020 targeted checkpoints nationwide, with 550 burglary related arrests.

I should also emphasise that Operation Thor will be further backed up by the anti-burglary new legislation which I recently commenced. The Criminal Justice (Burglary of Dwellings) Act2015 is targeted at those repeat burglars who have previous convictions and who are charged with multiple offences of residential burglary. The new legislation requires the District Court to provide for consecutive jail sentences where a burglar is being sentenced for multiple offences. It also allows Courts to refuse bail for offenders who have a previous conviction for domestic burglary coupled with two or more pending charges. I made the enactment of this new legislation a priority so that it would be available when persons charged as part of Operation Thor come before the courts and this commitment has also now been delivered upon.