Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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336. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the measures being implemented to tackle rural crime in Carlow and Kilkenny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14824/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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Tackling rural crime is absolutely a priority for me as Minister for Justice. I have said consistently that the best way for us to address concerns around all types of crime is by recruiting more Gardaí.

An Garda Síochána has been allocated €2.48 billion in 2025, a 27% increase since 2020, which demonstrates our commitment to ensuring An Garda Síochána has provision to recruit the personnel it needs to carry out its vital policing work.

The introduction of the new Garda Operating Model, which has been rolled out in the Kilkenny/Carlow Garda Division, will provide more front-line Gardaí, increased Garda visibility, and a wider range of policing services for people in their local area.

It supports greater service delivery across the division through four functional areas, one of the most important being Community Engagement. This will allow for a greater, more consistent focus on community policing in all divisions.

With regards to burglaries, which can be of particular concern for people living in rural areas of the country, I can say that An Garda Síochána have had considerable success in reducing the prevalence of this through Operation Thor, which focuses on the prevention of burglaries and associated crimes throughout Ireland, using strategies which are adapted for both rural and urban settings.

I recognise that rural safety and community safety is not a job for An Garda Síochána alone, it requires a multi-agency, multi-sectoral and a whole-of-Government response. The National Rural Safety Forum, which is a partnership between the IFA, An Garda Síochána and the Department of Justice, comprises a dedicated and varied group of people and organisations with a common purpose of ensuring rural safety. Supporting the work of the Forum, the Department published the Rural Safety Plan 2022-2024.

The Plan’s vision is to ensure people and communities in rural Ireland feel safe and are safe in their homes, places of work, and their local environments. A lot has been achieved in the lifetime of the plan and a new Rural Safety Plan is currently being developed.