Minister McEntee and Minister Higgins meet with Retail Forum members

Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, and Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Emer Higgins TD, today (Wednesday) met with the Department of Enterprise's Retail Forum members.

The meeting of the Forum was an opportunity for the Ministers to listen and engage further on issues of concern to retailers; to provide information on An Garda Síochána's Operation Táirge, which is dedicated to tackling organised retail theft nationally; and to inform the members of the new whole of Government approach to Community Safety policy, including the establishment of the new Local Community Safety Partnerships nationally.

Speaking today Minister McEntee said:

Retailers large and small are at the heart of our communities.

Retail theft is a serious matter, and it is not a 'victimless' crime. These incidents do real harm to not only the business owners, but also to their staff and families where violence and anti-social behaviour occur.

We need small shops in our towns and villages. We need these local retailers who are a vital part of the fabric of life in Ireland.

A policing response is part of the solution, and I am committed to ensuring our Gardaí have the resources they need. Operation Táirge, the Garda targeted approach to tackling retail crime, is already bearing fruit through increased detections and prosecutions during 2024.

Minister Higgins said:

As Chair of the Retail Forum, I have worked with retailers from across Ireland, and their representative groups, to bring about change. The Retail Forum is an opportunity for meaningful consultation and collaboration that leads to action. Retail crime is a significant issue for business owners and their staff, and indeed their customers. I have been working with the Minister for Justice to not just highlight their concerns but to work towards solving them. Todays' meeting is really important because it's brought together retailers, the Department of Justice, Gardai and my own Department, which supports retail. The asks from retailers are clear - they want better collaboration with the Gardai and tougher sanctions against shoplifters and organised retail crime gangs. We will work together to achieve this through legislation, policy and through continued Garda operations.

Minister McEntee added:

The Local Community Safety Partnerships, which I am establishing nationally this year, are a forum for State agencies, local representatives and the community to come together and address the issues and challenges faced in their areas. After all, who knows what the issues are better than those who live and work in the locality?

Each Partnership will formulate a Local Community Safety Plan, with input from the Partnership members. Business representatives will be on each partnership, and I anticipated that these plans will deal with a number of matters that can support our efforts to tackle retail crime.

The Community Safety Policy recognises that community safety is about people being safe and, importantly, feeling safe in their own communities. At the heart of this policy is the principle that every community has the right to be and feel safe in order to thrive and flourish.

This approach to community safety is a whole-of-Government one which will bring the relevant social service providers, including the Gardaí, together with the community in a collaborative manner, by focusing on the concerns identified by the local community itself.

NOTE FOR EDITIORS:

Operation Táirge is An Garda Síochána's national operation targeting organised retail crime. Operation Táirge plays a key role in ensuring retailers and their staff are protected from organised crime and the harm that it can do to their business.

An Garda Síochána is taking a strategic approach to address the issue of retail crime. Operation Táirge will see An Garda Síochána provide a reliable and effective and consistent response to retail related incidents, and encourage effective high visibility and targeted patrols.

The Operation was launched in December 2023 and some notable successes include:

• A man in his 40s, arrested on 19 August 2024 by Gardaí from the Clare/Tipperary Division, who was subsequently charged and appeared before the Courts. This related to an investigation into multiple thefts from retail outlets carried out nationwide between July 2020 and February 2024 by an Eastern European Organised Crime Gang. The alleged thefts primarily involve premium alcohol and spirits with an estimated potential loss to the retailers in excess of €30,000.

• Ten people arrested in September 2024 by Gardaí from the Bridewell Station, Dublin related to 31 separate incidents of retail theft in the area. The ten individuals were charged and appeared before the Courts. These incidents of theft occurred in both large international chain stores as well as local, independent retailers within the community.

The Local Community Safety Partnerships (LCSPs) will operate at local authority level and they will replace Joint Policing Committees (JPCs). The Partnerships will have a wider membership than JPCs and will include residents, local councillors, community representatives (including representatives of young people, older people, new and minority communities), business and education representatives and a range of public services including the HSE, Tusla, An Garda Síochána and the local authority.

Each newly established LCSP will be required to develop and implement its own tailored community safety plan and will take a strategic approach to their work so that issues arising can be dealt with in a coordinated manner; addressed collectively by relevant service providers in partnership with the community.