Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 April 2015
396. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons convicted of burglary in the years 2011 to 2014 and in 2015 to date; the average sentence received for those convicted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15151/15]
View answerThe Garda Síochána Act 2005 makes provision for the compilation and publication of crime statistics by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical agency, and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose.
I have requested the CSO to provide the available statistics directly to the Deputy.
In so far as sentences imposed in the District Court are concerned, I am informed by the Courts Service that the average sentence for burglary is in the range of 5.6 to 5.8 months for the years 2011 to 2014 and in 2015, up to 31 March. I am further informed that the provision of comparable information in relation to burglary charges in the Circuit Criminal Court would require a disproportionate amount of time and resources to compile and is not therefore available.
As the Deputy will be aware, I have been carrying out a broad review of the criminal justice system’s response to the problem of burglaries. This includes a focus on interagency measures in relation to the management of prolific offenders, visible policing, crime prevention support for communities, and an examination of legislative issues. In this regard I recently published the General Scheme of the Criminal Justice (Burglary of Dwellings) Bill which was approved by Government. This legislation targets repeat burglary offenders through bail measures and provisions concerning the imposition of consecutive sentencing for repeat burglary offending.
