Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 April 2017
49. Deputy John Brassil asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will review costing and feasibility for the provision of a grant to install monitored intruder alarms for persons over 66 years of age living in rural areas, in view of the increase in rural crime and break-ins (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18937/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can advise the Deputy that my Department does not provide grant assistance to householders of the type referred to by the Deputy. However, it is worth noting that the Seniors Alert Scheme, which is provided by my colleague the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, provides grant assistance towards the purchase and installation of personal monitored alarms to enable older persons, of limited means, to continue to live with independence and peace of mind in their own homes.
I am of course very much aware of the particular concerns which may arise in relation to the safety of elderly and vulnerable persons. In this regard I can assure the Deputy that I am in ongoing contact with the Garda Commissioner to ensure that the available Garda resources are used as effectively as possible for tackling crime in our community. An Garda Síochána work in partnership with a wide range of community based groups, including Community Alert and Neighbourhood Watch groups, to support enhanced community safety and with particular regard to the needs of elderly and more vulnerable people.
The protection of elderly and vulnerable people was a key consideration in the broad review of our response to burglary and related crimes which I initiated in the early part of 2015. Arising from this, the Deputy will be aware of the concerted strategy which has been put in place to tackle such crimes and protect householders. In particular, very important progress has been made under Operation Thor which has led to concentrated Garda activity with more than 67,000 targeted checkpoints nationwide, and in the region of 4,000 arrests connected to a range of offences which, in addition to burglary, have included handling stolen property, possession of firearms and drugs offences. Operation Thor has particularly targeted mobile gangs engaged in burglary and related crimes and it is encouraging to note that since the launch of the operation in November 2015, the burglary figures have shown a significant downward trend. Indeed, the most recent CSO official recorded crime statistics for Q4 of 2016 show a decrease of 30% in burglary for the twelve months of 2016 when compared to same period in 2015. This reflects the success of the concerted Garda drive against crime being implemented under Operation Thor.
As part of the concerted strategy to combat burglary, I made it a priority to secure the enactment of specific legislation targeting prolific burglars in the Criminal Justice (Burglary of Dwellings) Act 2015. These provisions are now available to Gardaí to support prosecutions arising from Operation Thor. The reduction in the volume of burglaries as a result of Operation Thor will not of course be indicated in the overall detection rate for burglary. However, I might add that the Criminal Justice (Forensic Evidence and DNA Database System) Act was commenced a year ago and introduced the DNA database, which provides Gardaí with investigative links (’hits’) between people and unsolved crimes, including burglaries. It is anticipated that this will assist in improving detection rates for burglary over the coming years.
Gardaí support over 3,700 Community Alert and Neighbourhood Watch Schemes nationwide, and these form an important partnership with An Garda Síochána to prevent crime and protect communities, especially the elderly and more vulnerable persons. In addition, the Garda Text Alert Scheme provides an effective means for Gardaí to communicate crime prevention information to local communities. Since it was launched in September 2013, it has grown quickly with a total of 164,000 subscribers and in the order of 3 million text messages sent annually. Every Garda Division, rural and urban, now offers the text alert service and An Garda Síochána has published guidelines to assist in the establishment and operation of local groups.
I should advise the Deputy that neither my Department nor An Garda Síochána provide direct funding for the setting up of Text Alert Schemes, or for the operation of local Community Alert Groups generally. Instead, funding is provided in relation to the employment and associated costs of the national Community Alert programme, including the employment of regional Development Officers. The long-standing view has been that this is the best use of the resources available to my Department to support effective community crime prevention actions.
Underpinning all of these measures is the Government's ongoing commitment to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country in order to maintain and strengthen community engagement, provide reassurance to citizens and deter crime. The Government plans to achieve an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 personnel by 2021 comprising 15,000 Garda members, 2,000 Reserve members and 4,000 civilians. This year, funding has been provided for the recruitment of 800 Garda recruits and up to 500 civilians to support the wide ranging reform plan which is in train within An Garda Síochána. Approximately 300 appointments will also be made to the Garda Reserve.
