I propose to take Questions Nos. 426, 427, 428 and 442 together.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that the following table provides the total number of robbery and aggravated burglary offences where a firearm was used, recorded and detected in the Garda districts of Wexford, New Ross, Gorey and Enniscorthy for the years 2002-05. I am pleased to note that the table shows a reduction of 37.5% in offences recorded, where a firearm was used in the districts concerned, from 2004-05.
The introduction of the PULSE computer system by the Garda Síochána in 1999 has led to more complete and comprehensive recording of crimes reported than was previously the case. The figures provided for 2000 and 2001 are incomplete due to the phased implementation of PULSE. The first full year captured is 2002 and is a more accurate base year to use.
It should be borne in mind that any interpretation of the crime figures should factor in the increase in our population in the past ten years. In 1995, with a population of almost 3.6 million people, there were 29 crimes per 1,000 of the population. In 2005, with a population of over 4.1 million, there were 24.6 crimes per 1,000 of the population, a reduction of 4.4 crimes per 1,000 of the population. To put this in context, during the two full years of the rainbow coalition government, with a population of 600,000 less than at present, the headline crime figures were as follows: 1995 — 102,484; 1996 — 100,785.
I propose bringing forward a range of measures to strengthen the law governing the control of firearms in the Criminal Justice Bill 2004, which is currently before the House. These new measures include increases in fines and penalties generally for offences under the Firearms Acts and the creation of mandatory minimum sentences, of between five and ten years, for certain firearms offences, including possession of a firearm in suspicious circumstances, possession of firearm with criminal intent, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property, possession of a firearm while hijacking a vehicle, and use or production of a firearm to resist arrest.
In this context I also propose to introduce a statutory basis for an amnesty during which firearms may be surrendered to the Garda Síochána before the proposed new penalties and minimum mandatory sentences are introduced. This will enable those in possession of firearms, who are not in compliance with the legal requirements, to regularise their position, and thus enable the Garda Síochána to concentrate on more serious offenders.
Figures provided for 2005 are provisional, operational and liable to change.
Robbery and aggravated burglary offences where a firearm was used, recorded and detected for the Garda districts of Gorey, Enniscorthy, Wexford and New Ross for the years 2002-05.
|
2005
|
2004
|
2003
|
2002
|
Garda district
|
Rec
|
Det
|
Rec
|
Det
|
Rec
|
Det
|
Rec
|
Det
|
Gorey
|
3
|
2
|
5
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
Enniscorthy
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
Wexford
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
New Ross
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
Total
|
5
|
3
|
8
|
2
|
4
|
3
|
2
|
2
|