Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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93. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the action she will take in relation to the growing anxiety in rural areas regarding crime levels; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8616/22]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I want to assure the Deputy that I am very much understand the anxiety which many people in rural areas are feeling in light of the recent horrific attacks on people in their homes.

Notwithstanding the devastation which is caused by any such attack, it is important that we recognise that such incidents are relatively rare. As I have stated, there has been a 66% reduction in residential burglaries when comparing 2021 to 2015, the year in which Operation Thor commenced.

Provisional crime figures for 2021, issued by An Garda Síochána last month, further reported that residential burglary was down 18% last year compared to 2020, while aggravated burglary was down by 20% and robbery from the person by 22%.

It is also important to acknowledge that while people aged over the age of 65 are the least likely to be the victims of crime, they are the most likely to be understandably worried or fearful about becoming a victim. I believe it is important that all of us in this House provide reassurance to those living in our communities that both the Government and Gardaí are taking a wide range of steps to tackle all forms of rural crime.

In addition to the very effective actions being taken by Gardaí under Operation Thor, there is a wide range of other initiatives which are being taken to ensure community safety in rural areas. These include the Older People Registers maintained at many Garda stations, Community Alert and Neighbourhood Watch schemes, Text Alert, Community CCTV, the Bogus Caller Initiative and the Senior Alert Scheme, amongst many others.

In addition, the Garda Community Engagement Bureau promotes ‘Supporting Safer Communities’ campaigns each year. The main focus of the crime prevention campaigns is burglary prevention and reduction. The National Crime Prevention Unit at Garda Community Engagement Bureau also supports a nationwide network of Crime Prevention Officers, with each Garda division having an appointed Crime Prevention Officer.

As the Deputy will be aware, my Department is currently developing a new community safety policy, central to which is the importance of ensuring the local communities in which people live and work both are safe and, importantly, feel safe. A key part of this policy is the establishment of new Local Community Safety Partnerships, which will be established in every local authority area under the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill. The Partnerships will provide a forum for local communities to assess their specific local needs of their community and to establish Local Community Safety Plans to tackle them. Pilot partnerships are currently in place in Longford, Waterford and north inner city Dublin and will run for two years ahead of the nationwide rollout.