Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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570. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 520 of 14 February 2023, if he has received the necessary information from the Garda authorities to have this question answered. [14990/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I have sought the information requested by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána, and will contact him again when this is to hand.

Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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571. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 516 of 7 March 2023, if he has received the necessary information from the Garda authorities to have this question answered. [14991/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I understand that Parliamentary Question No. 516 of 7 March 2023 refers to the number of arrests from Blanchardstown Garda station in 2022, and to-date in 2023.

As the Deputy is aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business under Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), which includes all operational policing matters. As Minister I play no role in these independent functions.

I am advised by the Garda authorities that a search of the PULSE database was conducted on the 3 March 2023 for Prisoner Logs with an Arrest or Entry Date between 1/01/2022 – 2/03/2023, where the station of custody was Blanchardstown.

Based on the numbers returned, the table below shows the count of arrests by year.

This information is based upon operational data from the PULSE system as at 01:00 on 3/03/2023, and is liable to change.

Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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572. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 461 on 24 January 2023, if he has received the necessary information from the Garda authorities to have this question answered. [14992/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I have sought the information requested by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána and will contact him again when this is to hand.

Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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573. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of full-time voice recognition specialists employed by An Garda Síochána in 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [14993/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including any decisions in relation to the allocation and control of Garda resources. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.

I am informed that there were no full-time voice recognition specialists employed by An Garda Síochána in the years requested by the Deputy. Such a role does not exist within An Garda Síochána.

Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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574. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of times that An Garda Síochána has hired external jewellery valuers to carry out works on behalf of the force in 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form; and the amount paid for such works. [14994/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including any decisions in relation to the allocation and control of Garda resources. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.

I am informed that the table below sets out the number of times An Garda Síochána has hired external jewellery valuers in 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form; and the amount paid for such works.

Figures provided by the Criminal Assets Bureau on 23 March 2023.

These figures are operational and may be liable to change.

Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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575. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 515 of 7 March 2023, if he has received the necessary information from the Garda authorities to have this question answered. [14995/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy's original question from March sought an update on Garda Operation Pier, including the amount of drugs seized under Operation Pier; and the number of persons arrested and charged under this operation to date.

Public safety is a key priority for me as Minister for Justice. An Garda Síochána is making important progress in tackling crime including through many Garda operations nationwide.

I am advised by the Garda authorities that Operation Pier was originally established for the purpose of targeting anti-social behaviour and drug dealing in the Pearse Street Sub-District and was amalgamated with Operation Citizen in 2022.

Operation Citizen is the overarching Garda response to ensure high visibility and a proactive response to anti-social behaviour and other crimes occurring in that area. The primary objective of An Garda Síochána remains to maximise public safety; to maintain core policing functions; to detect crime and preserve the peace and to promote confidence in An Garda Síochána.

The members deployed on Operation Citizen are drawn from Store Street and Pearse Street Garda stations, thus utilising the members that are best placed to provide an effective policing service, bringing with them local knowledge and ownership of the objectives. These members have support from other uniformed and plain clothes (including armed) members available where additional assistance is required to respond to any particular issue or incident, should the need arise.

The Garda authorities have informed me that they are unable to provide drug seizure values based on PULSE data. The official source for verified drug types, quantities and values is carried out after analysis by Forensic Science Ireland and published in their annual report.

To be of assistance to the Deputy, a search of the PULSE database was conducted on for Prisoner Logs, Charges and Summons associated with Incidents with a reported date between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2022. The table below shows the number of arrests, charges and summons by year. These figures relate to all operational activity and not limited to one operation.

The figures are based on operational data from the PULSE system as of 6 March 2023 and are liable to change.