Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 November 2012
828. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will refrain from closing additional Garda stations in rural areas; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the elderly and those living alone are now living in constant fear and are feeling increasingly isolated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48736/12]
View answerAny proposals for the closure of Garda stations must be contained in the annual Policing Plan prepared by Commissioner and submitted to the Minister for Justice. While the policing plan for 2013 has not yet been finalised, it will be laid before the House in due course. Until then it would be premature to speculate on what it might contain.
In preparing the policing plan, the Garda Commissioner reviews all aspects of the Garda Síochána's policing model, including the deployment of personnel, the utilisation of modern technologies and the operation of Garda Districts and Stations, in terms of resource allocation, the opening hours and possible closures. In addition, all Divisional Officers are asked to assess the level of activity in each Garda Station in their area. It must be stressed that the key objective of the review is to promote the more efficient and effective deployment of resources rather than secure modest cash savings so that as many Gardaí as possible are deployed on front line operational duty rather than based in Garda Stations.
In addition to this, the Garda Commissioner has introduced a range of measures aimed at tackling gangs involved in burglaries. These measures are encompassed in Operation Fiacla, which is particularly focused on identifying and targeting mobile gangs involved in burglaries around the country so as to disrupt their activities and bring them before the Courts. Specific burglary related initiatives are being implemented in each Garda Region in support of Operation Fiacla. This is a coordinated, intelligence led strategy designed to maximise organisational resources in order to proactively target prolific offenders. Under this operation, between February 2012 and October 2012, approximately 2,500 persons have been arrested and over 1,400 persons have been charged, reflecting the very substantial efforts being made to tackle this problem by the Gardaí.
