Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 30: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to an obvious escalation in serious and often fatal gun crime; if extra resources will be allocated to combat organised crime; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3535/06]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 178: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of fatal shootings with particular reference to gangland incidents in 2005; his proposals to combat the problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3755/06]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 179: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the steps he proposes to take to combat organised crime including robberies, shootings, witness intimidation, extortion, protection, racketeering or other similar activities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3756/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 30, 178 and 179 together.

The Garda Síochána employs a range of techniques in the fight against serious crime. The establishment of specialist Garda units, operating under an assistant commissioner in charge of national support services, has enabled the Garda Síochána to tackle organised crime effectively. The National Bureau of Criminal Investigation is the Garda specialist unit tasked with the role of tackling organised crime and it carries out this role by conducting intelligence-driven operations in close co-operation with other specialist units, including the Garda national drugs unit, the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation and the Criminal Assets Bureau.

In November 2005, the Garda Commissioner arranged for the allocation of an additional 50 officers to the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation to augment the effort to target groups involved in organised crime in the Dublin metropolitan region. The unit is headed by a detective chief superintendent and works closely with gardaí deployed on Operation Anvil and with other specialist units.

The Garda Síochána is now better resourced than at any time in its history. I am particularly pleased to have secured a €144 million increase, 13.2%, in the Garda Vote for this year. The Garda budget is now at an all-time historic high, having exceeded €1.2 billion for 2006. This enormous resource enables me to provide the Commissioner with funding for a visible policing package which, among other things, will facilitate additional funding for youth diversion schemes and hi-tech Garda vehicles and related equipment. I will also be providing further investment in technological equipment to assist the gardaí in their fight against crime. The most significant such investment will be that made in the national digital radio project to replace the existing analogue radio system.

The provision for Garda overtime is increased by over €22 million, bringing the total overtime provision to €83.5 million for 2006 and will facilitate, among other things, the continuation of specialist Garda operations such as Operation Anvil, Operation Clean Street, Operation Encounter and Operation Nightcap. These operations are targeted at the prevention and detection of crimes such as gangland murders, organised crime, racketeering and other criminal activity which gives rise to serious community concern.

The Deputy will be aware that in October 2004 the Government approved my proposal to increase the strength of the Garda Síochána to a record 14,000 in line with the An Agreed Programme for Government commitment in this regard. The ongoing recruitment campaign will lead to a combined strength of both attested gardaí and recruits in training of 14,000 by the end of this year.

The Government's top policing priority for 2006 is to continue to target organised crime, including drug trafficking, and the gun culture associated with it through the use of specialist units and targeted operations such as Operation Anvil.

As a specific response to the problem of gun crime in Dublin, the Government decided to provide funding for Operation Anvil. This operation was undertaken not as the sole response to this problem but as a targeted response to augment the work which the gardaí were doing day in day out to address gun crime. It is an intelligence-led policing initiative which targets active criminals and their associates involved in serious crime by preventing and disrupting criminal activity through extensive additional overt patrolling, static checkpoints, uniformed mobile and foot patrols supported by armed plain-clothes patrols and, covert operations.

Operation Anvil has resulted in a number of very successful outcomes, including the seizure of 347 firearms. In addition, 23,654 checkpoints and 7,138 drugs searches have been carried out. The additional budgetary provision for 2006, which I referred to, will facilitate not just the continuation of this operation but also its geographical extension beyond the Dublin metropolitan region.

In addition to Operation Anvil, I am informed by the Garda authorities that Operation Delivery was set up to combat robberies of institutions and to target those involved in robberies of high value goods in transit. I am also informed that cases of witness intimidation are investigated on a case by case basis and, where the need arises, are dealt with by the Special Criminal Court on the directions of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

All extortion related complaints are investigated by the Garda Síochána and its anti-racketeering unit investigates reports and targets criminals suspected of this type of criminality.

Regarding the number of fatal "gangland" shootings in 2005, I am informed by the Garda authorities that the number of murders recorded in 2005 in which firearms were used is 21. While the term "gangland killings" tends to be widely used in the media in referring to the nature of certain unlawful killings and speculation in this respect is understandable, this does not correspond to the manner in which the Garda Síochána classifies crime or particular offences. Caution is necessary in ascribing particular motives to any particular incident as, potentially, this might jeopardise the procedures which need to be followed for the proper investigation and prosecution of offences. All killings, regardless of the circumstances involved, are the subject of rigorous investigation by the Garda Síochána.

It is widely acknowledged that our legislative package for tackling serious and organised crime is already one of the toughest in Europe. The Criminal Justice Bill, which is currently before the Houses of the Oireachtas, provides a comprehensive package of anti-crime measures which will enhance the powers of the gardaí in the investigation and prosecution of offences. In November last year, I obtained Government approval to draft a range of amendments to the Bill, which I intend to bring forward during its passage through the Oireachtas. Proposed amendments include the creation of criminal offences in relation to participation in organised crime, the strengthening of existing provisions for the ten year mandatory minimum sentence for drug trafficking and a range of amendments to the Firearms Acts.

I can assure the House that I am in regular contact with the Garda Commissioner in order to keep the measures and resources for tackling serious crime under continuing review.