Fine Gael TD for Dun Laoghaire, Mary Mitchell O’Connor has said that the new Burglary Act will help keep repeat burglars off the streets of Dun Laoghaire and improve the safety of our community.

“Yesterday the Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald, announced that the Criminal Justice (Burglary of Dwellings) Act 2015 has come into operation. This is an important new act and means that from today bail can be denied to repeat offenders.

“The problem of repeat burglaries is an issue for many people in Dun Laoghaire. Statistics provided by the Garda Síochána show that 75% of burglaries are committed by 25% of burglars. This important Act allows for bail to be denied, and consecutive sentences to be given, to repeat burglars. It’s my hope that the act will reduce crime rates in Dun Laoghaire and will be a key weapon in the battle against crime.

“Home is the place where we should all feel most safe and secure. This is why Minister Fitzgerald is targeting those who commit burglaries. This Bill will help to keep repeat burglars off the streets and to improve the safety of our communities.

“The new Burglary Act also provides an important additional layer of support to Gardaí in implementing Operation Thor. These new provisions for tougher sentences and stricter bail for repeat offenders will now be available when persons charged as part of Operation Thor come before the courts. Operation Thor, which was launched in November 2015, is a multi-strand national anti-crime and anti-burglary operation. It involves a broad range of activities to tackle crime, particularly burglaries.

“This Government has reopened Templemore after it was closed by Fianna Fáil; €46 million has been allocated for Garda vehicles, many of which will be high-power vehicles for targeted operations; €18 million is being provided for the refurbishment of Garda stations and €205 million has been invested in new technology for An Garda Síochána. This is part of an unprecedented allocation of €875 million in capital funding for the Justice sector.

“The economic recovery, brought about by the policies of this Government and the hard work of the Irish people, means we can now invest more in key public services, Fine Gael has a long term plan to keep the recovery going. Our plan will deliver more and better new jobs and will allow us to continue targeted investment in areas like crime prevention.”