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- Minister Helen McEntee hosted two-day conference as part of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of Europe.
- Dublin Declaration adopted by 38 countries of 46.
- Minister McEntee calls for collective support for Zero Tolerance of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.
Ministers of the Council of Europe responsible for addressing domestic, sexual and gender-based violence gathered in Dublin over the last two days at a conference entitled “No safe haven: Integrated prevention measures to end domestic, sexual and gender-based violence”.
The conference was hosted by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee TD, as part of Ireland’s Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, which began in May for the seventh time in the history of the Council of Europe. It brought together Ministers and representatives from nations across the Council of Europe to discuss changing social norms to tackle violence against women, changing the behaviour of men who have been violent and training professionals to work with victims or perpetrators.
Key note addresses were delivered by Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Tiny Kox, the Director of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, Michael O’Flaherty and Iris Luarasi, President of the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO).
The Dublin Declaration on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence was adopted at the end of the conference, with 38 countries of the 46 in attendance supporting the Declaration.
Speaking at the conference, Minister McEntee said: “I was delighted to welcome my colleagues to Dublin for this two day conference, during which I believe we solidified our collective commitment to tackling domestic, sexual and gender-based violence across the continent.
Violence against women is a human rights violation that is widespread across all Council of Europe member states – that is a horrible reality and one that we have to address. One in three women in Europe experience some form of physical or sexual violence during their lifetime. One in 20 has been raped. Two in five women have experienced some form of psychological violence by either a current or a previous partner.
There should be zero tolerance in any society for this kind of behaviour. I want to see this change in Ireland and I want to see this change across Europe.
It is a key priority for me as Minister for Justice. I launched our third national strategy, Zero Tolerance, in June. It will work towards achieving a society in Ireland that has absolutely no tolerance for DSGBV or the attitudes that underpin it. It is built around the four pillars of the Istanbul Convention – prevention, protection, prosecution and policy co-ordination – and is therefore clearly aligned with the ambitions of the Council of Europe and the issues we will discuss over the next two days.
I am delighted that we have adopted the Dublin Declaration which sets out a high level of ambition for future collaborative work in this area.
I know this is something Iceland will continue to prioritise when they assume the Presidency in November and I look forward to supporting them as they build on our achievements over the next two days”.
Mr Mark Beresford, with an address at No. 41 Gortataggart, Brittas Road, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, was charged by Garda Mr Daniel Murray with assault, allegedly having caused bodily harm to 52-year-old taxi driver, Mr Willy Lufuluabo, at Curraheen Road, Co. Cork on May 1st, last year.
A Co. Cork Court heard that a very serious assault had left the taxi driver with a fractured cheek bone.
We understand the taxi driver had picked up the accused, in the company of another, at Co. Cork’s Kent Station, Lower Glanmire Road, before driving, as directed, to Mitchelstown. Along the way, one of his passengers asked to stop off at Maxol in Tivoli, before then proceeding on their journey.
Close to Mitchelstown the driver was asked to return to Curraheen Road, Bishopstown, some 59km distance from Mitchelstown, where upon the driver was asked to stop, and the alleged assault was carried out by one of the drivers passengers. The driver was punched several times in the face, with the assailant stating that this was not where they had asked him to go and that he now wanted to be brought back to Thurles, Co. Tipperary, a distance of some 123km from Bishopstown.
Having read the medical report on the taxi driver’s injuries, Mr Justice Colm Roberts refused to accept jurisdiction; stating the case was too serious and was a matter for trial by ‘Judge and Jury’.
Judge Mr Colm Roberts adjourned the case to Monday, November 7th, next.
- Burglary and related offences down 36% on 2019 pre-pandemic figures.
- Homicide and related offences down 38% on 2021.
- Fraud and Economic Crime down from the start of the year but incidents remain high.
- Increase in reported Sexual Offences.
The Minister for Justice, Mrs Helen McEntee TD, has welcomed the continued decrease in burglaries noted in today’s publication of Recorded Crime Statistics by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) for Q2 of 2022.
This latest statistical release by the CSO provides an overview of crime statistics for the second quarter of this year.
There has been a 36% decrease in burglaries since pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
Notably, there has also been a decrease in incidents of homicide and related offences.
Welcoming the publication, the Minister said: “I welcome, in particular, the continued decrease in burglary and related crimes. Burglary is an invasion of not just a home but of the lives of victims. I am heartened to see that incidents of burglary and related offences are still down a great deal – 36% – in comparison to 2019 figures. As the evenings become darker, I urge everyone to please exercise caution and follow the simple crime prevention advice which An Garda Síochána provides to communities in order to keep people safe and keep crime numbers low.
I am also heartened to see the number of homicides go down, of course. Community safety is a whole of Government and whole of society responsibility which see Government Departments and agencies working with An Garda Síochána and countless, invaluable community groups to encourage community safety.
While we still have a way to go, today’s figures are a welcome reminder that this collaborate effort benefits us all as we work towards an Ireland where every citizen can feel safe and be safe as they go about their day-to-day lives”.
Garda advice on Crime Prevention can be found HERE
Property Crime
Operation Thor is designed specifically to tackle incidents of burglary throughout the country. The winter phase of Operation Thor will commence at the start of October.
For many years, An Garda Síochána have been encouraging people to clearly mark their property and make a record of it. Property that is clearly and obviously marked is less attractive to a thief as it is more difficult to sell on.
As we stated last week, Minister McEntee has announced funding of €300,000, over the next 4 years, for ‘Property Marking Ireland’, a not-for-profit property marking service, to further roll-out its services across the country.
An Garda Síochána also recently launched a new Property App that allows the public to index and record their personal property, for example, bicycles, laptops, farm machinery, jewellery etc.
People are encouraged to download this free App and to take photographs, record receipts and registration codes of their most valued items.
While there are positives to take from the CSO statistics; Minister McEntee also acknowledges the areas of crime that have risen post Covid, such as Kidnapping and related offences, Theft and related offences and Attempts/Threats to Murder, Assaults, Harassments and related offences.
In response to these latest trends Minister McEntee will ensure that these specific crimes will be swiftly addressed by providing the required funding and resources necessary to tackle these criminal gang and drug related crimes.
Sexual Offences
In June, the Minister published Zero Tolerance – the third national Strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, an ambitious five-year programme of reform to achieve a society which does not accept DSGBV or the attitudes which underpin it.
Noting that today’s release has shown a 5.6% increase in reported sexual offences on last year, Minister McEntee said: “Since becoming Minister for Justice, implementing Supporting a Victim’s Journey, which is my plan to create a more victim-centred justice system and to better support victims of sexual violence, has been one of my main priorities.
In June, I also published Zero Tolerance – the third national Strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, an ambitious five-year programme of reform to achieve a society which does not accept DSGBV or the attitudes which underpin it.
Zero tolerance means we, as individuals, don’t turn a blind eye to degradation, violence and abuse just because it’s behind closed doors. It means we don’t laugh off inappropriate touching or comments. It means we teach our children equality respect and healthy sexuality from a young age to change attitudes. It means supporting victims with compassion when they take the brave step and come forward to seek our help. It means effective punishment for perpetrators.
My hope is that the increase in reported sexual offences on last year is indicative of a growing trust in the system to support victims who have historically been under-supported, and also of a growing determination to treat sexual violence with zero tolerance by reporting crimes that have been historically under-reported”.
Fraud
Noting the increase in fraud, the Minister said: “The continued increase in incidents of fraud is concerning, particularly as the findings published today indicate that most of the fraudulent activity recorded relates to attempts to obtain people’s personal or banking information. Every person in Ireland deserves to feel safe and to be safe when they conduct their personal business online or over the phone – trying to trick people out of their personal information or hard-earned money is predatory and the reality is that anybody can fall victim to it.
That is why we all need to be alert to the risk of fraud – I urge anyone conducting sensitive or personal business online or over the phone to be very cautious when providing personal or banking information. Many of the financial institutions have excellent advice for customers on how to be safe online, as does the Citizens’ Information website”.
I note that there have been increases amongst many crime categories. It is important to note that in many cases these represent a return to pre-pandemic trends – a number of key crime categories decreased during periods of lockdown in 2020 and 2021 with people spending much more time at home. These figures represent a decrease on the 2019 figures for burglary and related offences which is a more reliable comparison. Targeted Garda activities such as Operation Thor are clearly having a positive impact”.
Plan identifies 5 priority areas relating to rural safety and outlines key actions underway to ensure safety in rural Ireland.
At the Ploughing Championships in Co. Laois, on Wednesday morning last, September 21st, 2022, the Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Mr James Browne, took the oppertunity to launch the ‘Rural Safety Plan’.
This plan brings together and strengthens all of the various strands of work being carried out in relation to rural safety. In demonstrating and highlighting the collaborative efforts made by An Garda Síochána, other State bodies, the Rural Safety Forum, community groups, and supported by the Government, the plan seeks to enhance security in our rural areas and enforces the importance that is rightfully placed on the welfare of rural Irish communities.
The vision of the Rural Safety Plan is for people and communities in rural Ireland to feel safe and be safe in their homes, their places of work, and their local environments.
This plan identifies 5 main priorities in relation to rural safety, which are: –
- Community Safety.
- Burglary and Theft.
- Roads Policing.
- Animal Crime.
- Heritage Crime.
The plan outlines the key actions underway in these priority areas in an informative and accessible way and also provides useful contacts for partner organisations, groups committed to supporting victims of crime, and organisations that share the Department of Justice’s aim of advancing the safety of our people.
Speaking at the launch on Wednesday, Minister Browne said:-
“I am delighted to be publishing the Rural Safety Plan today.
People and communities in rural Ireland deserve to feel safe and be safe. I recognise that rural safety isn’t just about the number of Garda but is a total Government responsibility.
That is why the Rural Safety Plan is the result of strong collaboration and brings together all of the excellent work already underway in relation to rural safety.
I want to recognise the wide-ranging and impactful work to further people’s safety and welfare, that is being undertaken in rural communities across the country. Much of this work is undertaken by dedicated volunteers who admirably commit so much of their time to the benefit of our communities and our country.
I wish to thank An Garda Síochána for their input to the Plan, and the National Rural Safety Forum for their support”.
The Minister for Justice Mrs Helen McEntee TD and the Minister of State for Law Reform Mr James Browne TD met today in the Department of Justice with the Garda Commissioner Mr Drew Harris and Ms Angela Willis, [latter Assistant Commissioner for the Dublin Metropolitan Region].
The meeting was convened to discuss safety and anti-social behaviour in Dublin and other areas around the country, following public concern over a number of recent incidents.
The Ministers and Commissioner agreed that high visibility policing is crucial to ensuring that people are safe and feel safe.
This will be prioritised by supporting and enhancing operations, such as Operation Citizen, which provides a visible presence in the city centre, and Operation Tombola, which tackles anti-social behaviour over the Halloween period, and high visibility policing through local teams in our other towns and cities.
Ongoing recruitment into An Garda Síochána will be key to achieving this, with the Minister and Commissioner agreeing that 200 recruits will soon enter the Garda College in Templemore, Co. Tipperary every three months.
The development of a permanent Garda station on O’Connell Street is a priority and, until the new facility opens, a high-visibility Garda presence will be maintained on the street.
The new, permanent station received planning permission this week and when opened in the coming months, will provide a permanent base for Gardaí working on Operation Citizen.
The Ministers, Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner also discussed how an increased presence on public transport can be provided through the Dublin Metropolitan Region.
The Minister has asked the Commissioner to also review the operation of anti-social behaviour legislation and procedures. An Garda Síochána are continuing to ensure compliance with bail requirements by repeat offenders.
The Minister for Justice will also examine what more can be done to assist Gardaí, such as the potential expansion of bail supervision schemes.
The Ministers, Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner agreed that the most effective way to deal with anti-social behaviour is through supports for communities and young people, such as Youth Diversion Programmes and other services, as led by Minister Browne, through the Youth Justice Strategy.
These include the Community Safety Innovation Fund, established by Minister McEntee and Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath, to reinvest the proceeds of crime, seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB), into community safety projects.
The first round of awards will be announced by Minister McEntee and Minister Browne imminently, with funding being drawn down by the end of the year.
However, Minister McEntee today confirmed that one of the successful applicants is the “That’s a Wrap” project from Familibase, which serves Ballyfermot and the surrounding areas.
The project will be given over €135,000 to assist with outreach programmes for hard to reach young people.
It was also agreed that tackling inter-generational deprivation requires a whole society response, and that the development of Community Safety Partnerships will be the key mechanism for ensuring that all aspects of Irish society, work together to make sure that people are safe and feel safe in their communities.
Ministers McEntee and Browne also provided an update on key Government legislation, including:-
- Giving An Garda Síochána the tools and technology to fight crime in a digital era by rolling out improved CCTV, body worn cameras and facial recognition technology.
- Working with Ministers Ryan and Naughton to tackle the illegal use of scramblers.
- Giving local people and local representatives a real say in how to make their communities safer through the new Community Safety Partnerships.
- Using community sanctions to address criminality, reduce reoffending and provide protection to the public.
- The Garda Powers Bill to modernise and update the powers available to An Garda Síochána.
- New legislation to criminalise the grooming of children to commit criminal offences, together with an intervention programme to support communities and break the link between the gangs and vulnerable youths.
Minister McEntee said: “We will always support communities – honest, hard-working people who want and deserve to be safe on their streets. We will never allow anti-social behaviour from a small minority terrorise any community.
Communities who need our help will get it, and people who deserve to be punished will be punished.
It is vitally important that people are safe and feel safe in the communities and in our city centres, and Commissioner Harris and I today discussed these issues, along with Minister Browne and Assistant Commissioner Willis.
High visibility policing is central to this and Operation Citizen and other initiatives are key to ensuring that people can enjoy Dublin, whether they live or work in the city – or just want to enjoy all it has to offer.
As Minister for Justice, I will always support An Garda Síochána with the resources and tools they need to fund these important operations.
However, the most important way we can tackle anti-social behaviour is through supports and services, such as Youth Diversion Schemes and the Community Safety Innovation Fund”.
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