Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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69. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the action being taken to tackle crime in rural areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35918/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Government is committed to ensuring that people across both rural and urban Ireland are safe and feel safe, and to ensuring that there is strong, visible and effective policing, including community policing. A key pillar of the Programme for Government is building stronger and safer communities. As the Deputy will be aware, my Department funds a number of initiatives around the country to help build rural safety. In coordination with our colleagues in the National Rural Safety Forum, Minister Browne intends to develop and publish a Rural Safety Action Plan this autumn, which will complement the work of the Forum and consolidate the many excellent initiatives which are already underway on rural safety nationally.

As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including Garda operations aimed at preventing and detecting crime. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.

The 2021-2022 winter phase of Operation Thor was launched by Gardaí in October 2021. Operation Thor is designed to tackle burglaries and associated criminal activities, which often increase in the darker winter months, through targeted enforcement and crime prevention activity and information.

This annual focus from Operation Thor has proved highly successful in tackling property-related crime since its inception in November 2015. In 2015, there were in excess of 18,800 residential burglaries reported. By contrast, in 2021 there were just over 6,000 residential burglaries reported, a reduction of over 66% or approximately 13,000 fewer residential burglaries.

While the COVID-19 pandemic was clearly a factor in some of this reduction, with people more likely to be present in their homes throughout the day, there has been a marked and consistent downward trend in such offences since the introduction of this Garda focus through Operation Thor.

The Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs, with an unprecedented allocation provided in Budget 2022 of over €2 billion. The Deputy may be aware that there was a very strong interest in the recent Garda recruitment campaign, with over 11,000 people applying to become a member. The recruitment process is continuing to identify candidates to enter the Garda College over the coming period.

In addition to new recruits, the rollout of the new Garda Operating Model will support the redeployment of Gardaí from non-core duties to frontline policing across the country. The new model will see larger Divisions with more resources, increased Garda visibility in communities, a wider range of locally delivered policing services, and a strong focus on community policing.

My Department has for many years provided funding for the employment and associated costs of the national Community Alert Programme, including the employment of regional Development Officers. In 2021, my Department committed in the region of €150,000 to local communities who wish to apply for a rebate towards the costs associated with running their local Text Alert Scheme, which is administered by Muintir na Tíre. This is a continuation of the annual funding made available by the Department for the Text Alert Rebate scheme each year since 2016.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill will also provide for the establishment of innovative Local Community Safety Partnerships (LCSPs) to develop local safety plans, tailored to the priorities and needs identified by communities themselves. The LCSPs will replace and build upon the existing Joint Policing Committees, and will provide a forum for State agencies and local community representatives to work together to act on community concerns. Three pilot partnerships are currently underway in Longford, Waterford and Dublin's North Inner City.