Justice | Extent to which gun crime is increasing

To ask the Minister for Justice the extent to which gun crime is increasing or otherwise; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

REPLY

I can assure the Deputy that the Government remains committed to ensuring An Garda Síochána have all the necessary resources to tackle all forms of criminality that affects our communities and has allocated An Garda Síochána with an unprecedented budget of over €2 billion for 2022.

As the Deputy will be aware, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, which includes decisions on the deployment of personnel among the various Garda Divisions. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.

I am assured that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review in the context of policing priorities and crime trends, to ensure their optimal use. I understand that it is a matter for the Divisional Chief Superintendent to determine the distribution of duties among the personnel available to them, having regard to the profile of each area within the Division and its specific needs. 

I am assured by the Garda authorities that An Garda Síochána are committed to tackling organised crime gangs and working towards making our communities safer.  

The table below, provided to me by the Garda authorities, shows the number of incidents of ‘Discharging a Firearm’ and ‘Possession of Firearms’ from 2018 to *2022.

* Incidents reported up to and including 30 June2022

Figures quoted are taken from operational data from the Pulse system on 1 July 2022 and is liable to change.