Vol. 565 No. 4
168 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason the detection rates in the Carlow-Kildare division are now the lowest in the country at 29% as per the provisional crime statistics for 2002. [11275/03]
The detection rate in the Carlow-Kildare division, as given in the annual report of the Garda Síochána for the 2001, was 33%. The detection rate given in the provisional crime figures for 2002 is 30%. This is a provisional figure, released shortly after the end of the year in question, and as such is liable to revision. There will inevitably be fluctuations in the detection rates in individual counties depending on specific factors. In particular, I am informed that much of the crime is committed by criminals from outside the area and this can add to the difficulties in detecting the perpetrators.
