Timmy Dooley
Question:12. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress that has been made under Operation Fiachla; the amount spent to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46436/12]
View answerWednesday, 24 October 2012
Questions (12)
Written answers
I am informed by the Garda authorities that Operation Fiacla is running for 12 months initially, with effect from February 2012. The Operation is the subject of regular monitoring and review by senior Garda management and is focused on identifying and targeting gangs involved in burglaries around the country so as to disrupt their activities and bring them before the Courts. Operation Fiacla is intelligence driven, and specific burglary initiatives have been implemented in each Garda Region to target suspect offenders. These initiatives optimise the use of existing structures and local Garda management ensure that all personnel are fully briefed on the initiative, with Divisional Crime Management Teams playing a key coordination and implementation role. I am further informed that, as of 19 October 2012, 2,493 persons have been arrested and 1,404 persons have been charged as part of the Operation, reflecting the very substantial efforts being made to tackle this problem by the Gardaí.
In relation to the cost of the Operation, it is understood that a separate dedicated budget has not been established for this initiative and it would necessitate a disproportionate amount of Garda time and resources to calculate this. However, every effort is being made by Garda management, under the remit of the respective regional policing plans prepared under Operation Fiacla, for duty associated with these initiatives to be conducted as part of routine, rostered, policing activities.
I am, of course, conscious of the deep distress which burglary can cause to householders and of the broader impact it can have in terms of fear of crime in our communities. I very much welcome the fact that the Garda Commissioner is deploying the substantial resources available to him in a targeted approach to confront those engaged in this form of criminality. I am hopeful that the successes of Operation Fiacla will be reflected in future crime statistics published by the Central Statistics Office in relation to burglaries.