Vol. 506 No. 4
86 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of attacks on non-nationals, including refugees and asylum seekers, reported to the gardaí in each of the years from 1997 to date. [15644/99]
I am informed by the Garda authorities that the crime recording system is not designed to record whether an injured party is a refugee or asylum-seeker or other non-national. Statistics cannot therefore be supplied in the format sought by the Deputy.
I am also informed, however, that statistics are compiled on an annual basis in respect of the number of offences committed as a result of xenophobic, racist or anti-semitic motives. Two such offences were recorded in 1997, and 11 such offences were recorded in 1998. Statistics for 1999 will be compiled at the end of the year.
