Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

The Minister tells me there was an increase. In interpreting the figures one must consider a sizeable increase in population. This morning I read the figures supplied by the Minister's Department. In 1995 with a population of 3.6 million there were 29 crimes per thousand head of population, in 2005 with a population of more than 4.1 million there was an equivalent of 24.6 crimes per thousand.

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