Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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48. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she is aware that burglaries in the Drogheda, County Louth, area have increased by 8% in the past year; the steps that can be taken to assist the Garda in dealing with this issue; the additional resources that can be allocated to it; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7947/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I am very much aware of the impact of burglary and other crimes on the community in Drogheda and in other areas of the country. While the Deputy will appreciate that the allocation of Garda resources is a matter for the Garda Commissioner in the first instance, I have brought his concerns in relation to Drogheda to the attention of the Garda authorities.

The Deputy will also be aware that while the most recent CSO Recorded Crime Statistics show an increase in burglary in Drogheda during 2015, the overall national figures show a very welcome reduction in the level of burglary crime. In fact during the last three months of 2015 the national burglary rate reduced by 26.2% compared to the same period in 2014, and this trend is also reflected in the figures for Co Louth which shows a decrease of 24% insofar as the same period is concerned. The onset of these significant trends coincides with with the launch of Operation Thor on 1 November 2015.

Operation Thor marks a significant step-up in the Garda response to burglaries and related crime and it is supported by a special allocation of in excess of €5 million, including funding for Garda overtime which will support a combination of additional patrols, checkpoints, rapid armed response and public awareness measures. Furthermore, since 2012, an overall amount of €34 million has been invested in the Garda fleet, with over 640 new vehicles coming on stream in 2015. Investment will continue under the Capital Plan 2016-2021 which provides €46 million for new Garda vehicles as well as important investments in Garda airborne surveillance and enhanced technology and ICT systems.

The commitment to tackling burglary and other forms of crime is further underscored by the additional 600 new Gardaí who will take up duty this year, bringing to 1,150 the number of new Gardaí recruited since the reopening of the Garda College in Templemore in September 2014.

I would also draw the Deputy's attention to the enactment of the Criminal Justice (Burglary of Dwellings) Act2015 which is targeted at repeat burglars who have previous convictions and who are charged with multiple offences of residential burglary. I am very pleased that this new legislation is now available to support prosecutions arising from the carefully considered Garda strategy to disrupt and oppose criminal activity under Operation Thor.