Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 October 2020
150. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the extent to which each category of the crimes reported in each Garda division has fluctuated in each of the past five years to date; if extra action is required; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32221/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware the Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical agency, is responsible for the compilation and publication of all crime statistics. The CSO produces these statistics using data recorded on An Garda Síochána’s PULSE system and makes regular releases under reservation in relation to various crime statistics, including recorded and detected crime. The CSO also continues to work with An Garda Síochána to address quality issues in the underlying sources used to compile the statistics.
Since March 2020, Government measures to inhibit the transmission of COVID-19 have been in place. These have had a significant effect on crime, with most crime types reporting significant reductions since mid-March.
The Deputy will be interested to note that the Garda Commissioner, in his most recent monthly report to the Policing Authority, noted that long term trends in Property Crime, Burglary and Criminal Damage plateaued in 2019, following a sustained downward trend from 2015 – 2018. This reduction has started to resume in 2020, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Crimes against the Person and Sexual Offences, for which continuous upward trends have been observed in recent years, have stabilised in 2020. Public Order incidents have increased consecutively in 2018 and 2019 and although also affected by COVID-19, have not seen as great a reduction when compared with Property Crime or Criminal Damage.
The Deputy may wish to note that the CSO's online statbank allows comparisons for the various crime categories across Garda divisions and over a period of years. This information, along with the latest crime statistics for Q2 2020, can be accessed at: https://statbank.cso.ie/px/pxeirestat/Database/Eirestat/Recorded%20Crime/Recorded%20Crime_statbank.asp?sp=Recorded Crime&Planguage=0&ProductID=DB_CJ.
