Almost 7,000 people have been arrested during the past 18 months under Operation Fiacla, which was set up to target individuals and criminal gangs involved in burglaries across Ireland.

Almost 4,000 people have been charged and brought before the courts.

The figures were released in advance of a two-day garda crime conference, which got under way in Templemore today.

As well as an overview of garda operations for 2013, senior garda management are also focusing on road traffic and community policing.

Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan said that while he does not believe station closures have led to a diminution in the policing service, he is concerned that the number of people killed on the roads is up on last year.

Commissioner Callinan met senior officers at the conference to examine current and emerging crime trends and assess the effectiveness of the garda's response.