Vol. 547 No. 3
311 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his Department has received a copy of the Third National Small Business Crime Survey conducted by the Small Firms Association; the way in which his Department will address the findings of this report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3176/02]
I can confirm that I have received a copy of the survey report in question. While I welcome well-informed debate on crime and crime-related issues, one must, obviously, exercise caution in drawing conclusions from research conducted by particular interest groups. I do not wish to undervalue or underestimate in any way the experiences of the respondents to the National Small Business Crime Survey, 2001 who have, unfortunately, been the victims of crime. In terms of objective and scientific crime analysis, however, I think that the much more broadly based annual crime statistics compiled by the Garda Síochána provide a more reliable guide. What these statistics indicate is that crime has fallen in the period since both the first and second surveys conducted by the Small Firms Association.
In terms of an effective response, the Garda authorities disseminate a comprehensive range of crime prevention advice to the business community on an ongoing basis. This is done both in person through the crime prevention officers attached to each Garda division, who carry out crime prevention surveys of public and private properties throughout the country, and through their booklet A Guide to Retail Security. Further support is available from the national crime prevention unit based at Harcourt Square, Dublin. In addition, business watch schemes have been developed as an important community-based initiative aimed at both small and large businesses. There are at present approximately 120 such schemes in operation throughout the country, which is a 100% increase since 1996. Under these schemes a Garda is given special responsibility to liaise with all the members in the business watch area.
