Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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732. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he will report on his engagement with the retail sector in relation to the impact of criminal activity and anti-social behaviour on businesses in that sector; when the Retail Crime Strategy will be published; the plans in relation to reforming defamation laws which many retailers feel is being used vexatiously against them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52117/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government commits to publishing a Retail Crime Strategy with targeted actions to reduce retail crime and support affected businesses. Work has already commenced on preparing this Strategy. I met with, and heard from, the retail community earlier this year on this matter.

My Department will shortly hold a targeted stakeholder engagement event with members of the Retail Forum on the new Retail Crime Strategy. This event will centre discussions on what the strategy may contain and provides an opportunity for stakeholders to inform the ongoing development of the Retail Crime Strategy. My Department is also undertaking research into how other jurisdictions are tackling such matters so we can learn from best practice elsewhere.

A coordinated approach across sectors will be required if strong, tangible actions are to be identified, implemented and achieved within the context of the Retail Crime Strategy.

The Programme for Government also makes a number of other commitments in relation to retail crime. These include:

• Support Garda Operations to tackle retail crime including through the use of organised crime and proceeds of crime legislation;
• Examine the introduction of a specific offence of assaulting a retail worker;
• Tackle the practice of “retail defamation”;
• Improve data sharing between retailers and Gardaí;
• Expand the use of community sanctions for retail crime;
• Update the Public Order Acts to allow a prolific offender to be excluded from a retail premises for a certain period of time.

• Supporting and resourcing ‘Operation Táirge’ which is a dedicated Garda operation aimed at detecting and preventing organised retail crime;
• Supporting An Garda Síochána: Budget 2025 provides a record allocation of over €2.48 billion to An Garda Síochána – this is a 27% increase since 2020 and garda recruitment is ongoing to increase numbers further;
• The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment holds a Retail Forum on a quarterly basis with retailers and representative bodies, hosted by the Minister of State with responsibility for Small Businesses and Retail. This provides an opportunity to discuss key issues of importance with stakeholders in the sector. An Garda Síochána provide an update on retail crime matters at each forum;
• Introducing new legislation to allow the Courts make Exclusion Orders to exclude prolific offenders engaged in retail crime from a premises/area for a period of time.

• asking whether a person had paid for goods or services,
• asking whether the person had obtained a service,
• asking whether a person has in their possession goods, or a receipt for goods or services, or
• informing a person that the form of payment tendered is one incapable of being accepted.