Paul Bradford
Question:150 Mr. Bradford asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when the Garda Síochána began recording crimes as influenced by counting rules. [30342/01]
Written Answers. - Crime Statistics.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that it has not been possible, in the time available, to determine with any precision when the counting rule referred to by the Deputy, which is currently known as the primary offence rule, was adopted. I am, however, also informed that the rule, which is used by approximately half of the countries in Europe, has been in use in Ireland for many years. Internal Garda instructions in June 1965, for example, suggest that a similar counting rule to the primary offence rule was the methodology employed for recording crime at that time.