Tuesday, 11 Feb 2014

Garda Operations

Questions (413)

Paudie Coffey

Question:

413. Deputy Paudie Coffey asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide a report on the success of Operation Kerbside over the past three years in combating the problem of prostitution in an area (details supplied). [6181/14]

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Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I am informed by the Garda authorities that Operation Kerb has been in operation in the Bridewell Garda Sub-District since November 2010. The operation primarily focuses on the diversion of women who are engaged in street based prostitution in the area referred to and the prosecution of persons who solicit for the purpose of prostitution. An Garda Síochána engage as appropriate with other agencies in diverting women engaged in such activity. The operation has resulted in 35 searches and 161 arrests or cautions under sections 7 and 8 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993 resulting in 94 charges and summonses. I am further advised that operation has had a significant impact on the prevalence of prostitution in the area and has received positive feedback from local residents.

Garda Operations

Questions (414)

Paudie Coffey

Question:

414. Deputy Paudie Coffey asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will report on the success of Operation Acer across the Dublin metropolitan region since its inception, with particular regard to the areas policed by Garda stations (details supplied). [6183/14]

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Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

As part of the measures which are coordinated under Operation Fiacla, Operation Acer commenced in the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) in March 2012. The operation is in force throughout the DMR including the areas referred to by the Deputy, and has resulted in a reduction in the number of burglaries in those areas. Operation Acer is an intelligence driven operation and includes analysis led checkpoints and patrols to target specific areas and case manage targeted offenders. As the Deputy may be aware the latest crime statistics show that the rate of burglary has decreased by 10.4% nationally for the twelve months ending 30 September 2013 and this underlines the impact being made by the Gardaí.

Operation Acer operates alongside ongoing community policing measures, including problem solving with local communities and ongoing liaison with schools, businesses and households in providing crime prevention advice and assistance to victims of burglary. I am advised that the arrangements in relation to Operation Acer plans are kept under review to ensure that appropriate adjustments are made to maintain the effective focus of the operation.

Legal Aid Service Expenditure

Questions (415, 417)

Niall Collins

Question:

415. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide in tabular form the total amount of money spent on civil legal aid in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6220/14]

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Niall Collins

Question:

417. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the amount of money spent on family mediation services under the Legal Aid Board in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 to date in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6223/14]

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Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I propose to take Questions Nos. 415 and 417 together.

As the Deputy will be aware civil legal aid is provided by the Legal Aid Board in accordance with the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995, as amended. In November 2011, the Board's remit was widened to include the Family Mediation Service (FMS), which had previously come under the auspices of the Family Support Agency. The Board's funding is provided by way of a single grant-in-aid and, since 2012, this incorporates funding in respect of the FMS. The funding allocated to the Board in 2012 included approximately €2.8 million in respect of the FMS. The Board is independent in its operations including how it allocates the funding provided but it is cognisant of my objective, in placing the FMS under its remit, of achieving greater synergies between the civil legal aid and family mediation services. I have set out the Exchequer funding provided to the Board since 2010.

Year	Total Amount of Exchequer Funding - (€ million)
2010	32.192
2011	30.370
2012	32.922
2013	33.759
2014 - to date	2.750

The Deputy may wish to note that Board's total expenditure is higher than the Exchequer funding provided as the Board utilises other forms of income, primarily contributions received from legally-aided persons in addition to costs recovered.

Legal Aid Service Expenditure

Questions (416)

Niall Collins

Question:

416. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide in tabular form the total amount of money spent on criminal legal aid in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6221/14]

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Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

The Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Act 1962 provides that free legal aid may be granted, in certain circumstances, for the defence of persons of insufficient means. Under the Act, the grant of legal aid entitles the applicant to the services of a solicitor and, in certain circumstances, up to two counsel, in the preparation and conduct of their defence or appeal. The granting of aid is a matter for the court. Total expenditure on criminal legal aid for the years requested by the Deputy is detailed in the table.

Year	Total Amount of Expenditure - (€ million)
2010	56.5
2011	56.1
2012	50.5
2013	50.9

The Deputy will note that the total expenditure for 2012 is €600,000 less than that for 2011. This decrease in expenditure reflects a reduction of 10% in fees payable which was implemented on 1 October 2011.

Question No. 417 answered with Question No. 415.

Compensation Awards

Questions (418)

Pat Deering

Question:

418. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 583 of 28 January 2014, if he will provide a more specific answer as the individual concerned has received the same reply twice each year for five or six years; and if he will indicate when the tribunal will be established. [6241/14]

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Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

As the Deputy will be aware, under the terms of the Scheme of Compensation for Personal Injuries Criminally Inflicted Tribunal members are entirely independent in the matter of individual applications that fall to be considered by them. I am informed by the Tribunal that this case has not been finalised to-date for reasons beyond their control but I am not in a position to provide further specifics in relation to this matter. I am also advised that the file in question is amongst a batch of files at present with a Tribunal member for consideration. I understand that as soon as a decision comes to hand a copy will be forwarded to the individual concerned.

I can further inform the Deputy that I am in the process of appointing a new Tribunal to administer the Scheme under the terms of Paragraph 17 of the Scheme of Compensation for Personal Injuries Criminally Inflicted. I have recently appointed a Tribunal Chairperson, Mr. John Cheatle, B.L. who can, under the terms of the Scheme, determine applications and is entirely independent in that regard. I expect to appoint the remaining members in the near future.

Garda Deployment

Questions (419, 420, 421, 422, 423, 424, 425, 426, 429, 430, 431, 434)

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Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I propose to take Questions Nos. 419 to 426, inclusive, 429 to 431, inclusive, and 434 together.

As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of all personnel among the Garda Regions, Divisions, and Districts. Garda management keep this distribution under continuing review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the best possible use is made of these resources.

Senior Garda Management is satisfied that a comprehensive policing service continues to be delivered to the communities in the Louth Division and that current structures in place meet the requirement to deliver an effective and efficient policing service to the community, including in targeting those involved in organised criminal activities.

Details of the number of Gardaí assigned to the Louth Division from 2008 to the end of 2013 inclusive, including those assigned to the Divisional Drugs Unit and to Community Policing are provided in tables at the end of this answer. All members of An Garda Síochána are tasked with enforcing the criminal law whether that involves drug related crime, burglaries or otherwise and of course supporting the community policing ethos of the force.

Local Gardaí in the Louth Division work very closely with their colleagues in national units such as the Garda National Drugs Unit, the National Bureau of Criminal Investigations and the Criminal Assets Bureau to ensure a co-ordinated and effective approach to protecting our communities, individuals and families from the harm and pain caused by criminal activity.

Operation Fiacla has proven to be a robust and effective response to those who seek to prey on law abiding householders and this is borne out by the latest Crime Statistics published by the Central Statistics Office covering the 12 month period up to the third quarter of 2013. These show a welcome reduction of 10.4% in burglary and related offences over the previous 12 months, and continue a trend which has been evident since the introduction of Operation Fiacla.

Operation Fiacla continues to be reviewed and re-focused with a view to identifying and targeting travelling criminals engaged in serious criminal activity, including Robbery, Aggravated Burglary, Burglary and related offences throughout the jurisdiction with individual operations in place under each Regional Assistant Commissioner, including Assistant Commissioner, Northern Region.

Garda (All Ranks)

Station	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
Ardee	21	30	31	28	28	27
Castlebellingham	3	3	3	4	4	4
Collon	7	7	6	7	6	6
Louth	2	1	1	1	1	1
Clougherhead	4	4	4	4	4	4
Drogheda	104	110	100	98	93	93
Dunleer	4	4	5	5	5	5
Blackrock	5	4	5	5	6	4
Carlingford	4	67	6	6	6	6
Drumad	7	6	7	6	7	7
Dundalk	120	118	133	130	123	120
Hackballscross	10	8	8	6	5	5
Omeath	5	5	5	5	4	4
Total	296	306	314	305	292	286

Dedicated Community Gardaí (All Ranks)

Station	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
Ardee	-	1	1	1	1	1
Castlebellingham	-	-	-	-	-	-
Collon	-	-	-	-	-	-
Louth	-	-	-	-	-	-
Clougherhead	-	-	2	2	1	1
Drogheda	4	7	7	6	6	5
Dunleer	-	-	4	4	4	3
Blackrock	-	-	-	-	-	-
Carlingford	-	-	-	-	-	-
Drumad	-	-	-	-	-	-
Dundalk	4	5	8	8	8	6
Hackballscross	-	-	-	-	-	-
Omeath	-	-	-	-	-	-
Total	8	13	22	21	20	16

Gardaí assigned to the Garda National Drugs Unit (G.N.D.U.)

Station	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
Louth	8	6	7	6	7	6
G.N.D.U	60	55	56	60	56	55

Garda Expenditure

Questions (427, 428)

Gerry Adams

Question:

427. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current budget for An Garda Síochána in the Dundalk and north Louth area. [6270/14]

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Gerry Adams

Question:

428. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the budget for each year for the Dundalk and north Louth area since 2008. [6271/14]

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Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I propose to take Questions Nos. 427 and 428 together.

The Garda Commissioner is the Accounting Officer for the Garda Vote. In this context I am informed by the Garda authorities that the direct costs of running the Dundalk District and the Louth Division from 2008 to 2013 are outlined in the table below. I also understand that certain further Garda expenditure arose in relation to the District and the Division which was met centrally by the Force. However, the specific details involved are not readily available and I am advised that significant Garda resources would be required to extract them.

Year	Dundalk District	Louth Division
2008	€10.9 million	€21.4 million
2009	€10.4 million	€22.9 million
2010	€ 9.9 million	€22.8 million
2011	€10.2 million	€22.3 million
2012	€ 9.7 million	€21.4 million
2013	€11.0 million	€22.7 million

At this stage it is not possible to accurately predict the relevant expenditure figures for 2014.

Questions Nos. 429 to 431, inclusive, answered with Question No. 419.