Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 November 2018
97. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of murders in each of the years 2010 to 2017 and to date in 2018; the location in which each took place in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49865/18]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical agency, is responsible for the compilation and publication of all crime statistics and I have requested that the CSO forward the relevant information to the Deputy as soon as possible.
The Deputy will also be aware An Garda Síochána initiated a review of homicide classifications, initially for the period 2013-2015 but later extending the review to cover the period 2003-2017. An Garda Síochána is currently working, in conjunction with the CSO and the Policing Authority, to resolve this issue. This is obviously a time consuming and complex process but it is important that both An Garda Síochána and the CSO are confident that their data is robust and accurate so that the public can have confidence in the data which informs the development of effective policies by the Department of Justice and Equality. The review by An Garda Síochána has not been published as it is not yet complete, however the details will be made public on completion.
While the most recent publication of the official recorded crime statistics for Q2 2018 remain 'Under Reservation', it is important to note the CSO, in conjunction with An Garda Síochána, continue to make good progress on returning the crime figures to the higher standard expected of our national crime statistics. I am determined that this body of work be completed as soon as possible and I welcome the continued diligence of the Policing Authority in monitoring this matter.
