Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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102. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Garda business fora established since May 2016. [18659/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As set out in my letter to the Deputy of 27 February 2017, I am advised that An Garda Síochána engages with a wide range of stakeholder groups as an integral part of its approach to policing and crime prevention. At national level, a Strategic Retail Forum is convened twice a year as an important element in the implementation of the Garda Theft from Shops Crime Prevention and Reduction Strategy. Participants in the Forum include An Garda Síochána, Retail Ireland, Retail Grocery Dairy & Allied Trades Association (RGDATA), the Small Firms Association (SFA), the Irish Small and Medium Enterprises (ISME), senior retail management representatives, security companies, chambers of commerce, chairs of local business fora and JPC representatives.

The Forum promotes schemes that build partnerships and support local Business Watch programmes. The purpose of the national forum is for stakeholders to share information from the meetings throughout their own organisations and encourage retailers to avail of the services of Divisional Crime Prevention Offices.

At local level, Business Watch Schemes operate in various locations around the country, in cooperation with local Gardaí. I have been informed by the Garda authorities that 33 notifications were received by An Garda Síochána regarding the establishment of Business Watch Schemes nationally since the beginning of 2016. I understand that, of these, 6 have been established since May, 2016.