Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 4 Mar 2003

Vol. 562 No. 4

Written Answers - Crime Levels.

Emmet Stagg

Question:

384 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 852 of 29 January 2003, and in view of the fact that the annual reports are not at present available as indicated, if he will provide the information requested. [6170/03]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell)

The number of headline offences recorded, and the percentage of those offences recorded as detected, both nationally and for the Carlow-Kildare Garda division, are shown in the following tables. The Deputy will be aware that crime statistics since 2000 are not directly comparable with those of previous years, due to the altered format of the Garda Síochána's annual report following the introduction of the PULSE system.

National Crime Figures

Year	Recorded	Detected
1998	85,627	44%
1999	81,274	42%
2000	73,276	42%
2001	86,633	41%

Carlow-Kildare Crime Figures

Year	Recorded	Detected
1998	3,365	46%
1999	3,208	43%
2000	3,112	36%
2001	3,751	33%

Garda numbers in the Carlow-Kildare Division

Year	Garda numbers in Carlow/Kildare
1998	294
1999	307
2000	303
2001	321

I also understand that as of 23 January 2003, Garda strength stood at 325, which represents an increase of 31, 11%, since December 1998.