Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 June 2019
157. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the position with regard to the publication of crime statistics previously provided through the CSO but which are no longer published due to concerns regarding the quality of the data; the actions he has taken to mitigate the information gap which exists in the absence of this information; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25786/19]
View answerAs previously outlined to the Deputy, the CSO's official crime figures remain “Under Reservation”, however, it is clear that progress is being made by An Garda Síochána and the CSO in improving the quality of the crime statistics.
In December 2018, the CSO published a third review of the quality of recorded crime statistics, based on data recorded on the PULSE database system for crimes reported to Gardaí in 2017. The review concluded, inter-alia, that clear improvements had been made in the manner in which criminal incidents were being recorded on the PULSE system.
While this is encouraging, it is also clear that there is more work to be done in this area and my Department, in conjunction with the Policing Authority, will continue to monitor the progress of An Garda Síochána in ensuring that the national crime statistics are returned to the higher standard required by the CSO.
I am advised that the latest CSO crime statistics, covering the first quarter of 2019, will be released early next week and I look forward to reviewing these statistics when they are available.
