Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 4 Feb 1999

Vol. 499 No. 5

Written Answers. - Crime Levels.

Denis Naughten

Question:

20 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of burglaries and robberies carried out in Counties Mayo, Roscommon, Galway, Sligo and Leitrim to date in 1999; the proposals, if any, he has to re-introduce operation Shannon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2951/99]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

I am informed by the Garda authorities that the following are the statistics to date for 1999. It must be borne in mind that because the period to which these statistics relate is so recent that the detection rates, at this stage, are therefore correspondingly low given that investigation of these offences is still in progress.

I should also point out that the statistics are compiled on the basis of Garda divisions, which do not always coincide with county boundaries. For this reason it is not possible to give a separate figure for each county.

The number of burglaries recorded and detected is as follows:

Garda Division	Burglaries	Detected
Roscommon/Galway East	5	0
Galway West	14	2
Mayo	1	0
Sligo/Leitrim	13	1

No robberies have been recorded in the Garda divisions to which the Deputy refers as of 1 February, 1999.

With regard to Operation Shannon, I am informed by the Garda authorities that this initiative, has since been replaced by Operation Oisin, which was introduced in the western region during October 1998. The operation involves all the Garda districts in the region and it is based on the deployment of a series of checkpoints, in strategic locations.