Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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615. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of reports of physical assaults, sexual assaults, harassment, intimidation and public order breaches on public transport in the Dublin metropolitan region in each of the years 2016 to 2020, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8419/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I am informed by the Garda authorities that Gardaí deploy a wide range of operational measures aimed at tackling public-order offences and anti-social behaviour in all contexts, including the policing needs of the public transport network. The legal framework which assists the Gardaí in tackling this type of crime includes provisions under the Criminal Damage Act 1991; the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994; the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 2003; and the Intoxicating Liquor Acts 2003 and 2008.

I understand that Garda management engages with transport operators and that a range of regional and local operations have been put in place to address incidents and issues that have arisen at specific locations. I am further informed that there is ongoing communication between An Garda Síochána and the respective control centres, and access to good quality CCTV can provide assistance to Gardaí when investigating serious incidents.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that they are not in a position to provide the number of reports of physical assaults, sexual assaults, harassment, intimidation and public order breaches on public transport in the Dublin Metropolitan Region in the years in question, as there are no specific location types on PULSE for trains, Luas trams, buses or coaches etc. It would require a substantial manual trawl of narratives to try to identify whether incidents occurred on some mode of public transport, which would require a disproportionate amount of time and resources.