Tom Enright
Question:274 Mr. Enright asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will outline, in the form of a tabular statement, the level of crime in the Laois-Offaly area over the past five years. [5014/00]
Written Answers. - Crime Levels.
Tom Enright
Question:275 Mr. Enright asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will give a break down of the level of crime in the different Garda areas of Laois and Offaly. [5015/00]
Tom Enright
Question:276 Mr. Enright asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has received crime figures for 1999 from the Garda Commissioner; and, if not, when he expects to receive these figures. [5016/00]
Tom Enright
Question:277 Mr. Enright asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there is a 15% increase in crime in the Laois-Offaly area over the last 12 months; and the steps, if any, he will propose to take to redress this problem. [5017/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 274 to 277, inclusive, together.
Indictable crime statistics for the Laois-Offaly division can be found in the annual reports of the Garda Síochána, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library. The most recent annual report details the crime statistics for 1998.
The annual reports of the Garda Síochána detail crimes reported on a national, regional and divisional basis. Statistics for Garda operational units within divisions, such as districts or stations, are not readily available and could only be obtained by the expenditure of a disproportionate amount of staff time and resources.
I can inform the Deputy that while provisional Garda crime statistics for 1999 have not yet been formally published on a divisional basis by the Garda authorities, I am informed by the Garda authorities that the national figure is 81,500 approximately indictable offences, which represents a 5% decrease over the previous year.
As the Garda crime statistics are provisional I cannot comment on specific issues, though I can assure the Deputy that never in the history of the State have more resources been allocated to combating crime, purchasing modern technology and equipment for the Garda Síochána and ensuring that the number of Garda personnel is increased. Furthermore, never in the history of the State have we had such a major prison building programme to ensure that those guilty of serious offences serve their sentences.