Results 11,681-11,700 of 18,734 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Crime Levels. (7 Dec 2006)

Michael McDowell: I am aware of the report in question which asserts that there was a 26% increase in burglaries in the 12 month period from June 2005 to June 2006 and a 12% increase in burglaries in Dublin — not, as the question suggested, 35%. I am a little perplexed by this because when I looked at the report on the Internet, it stated "the eircom PhoneWatch Burglary Report was conducted by the OSG...

Crime Levels. (7 Dec 2006)

Michael McDowell: It is a fair sample but I presume one would not be able to make an insurance claim unless one reported a burglary to the Garda Síochána. This is normally part and parcel of making a claim.

Crime Levels. (7 Dec 2006)

Michael McDowell: I understood insurance companies would not pay out on a burglary claim unless the burglary were reported to the Garda Síochána. Otherwise they would be very vulnerable to fraudulent claims. I find it somewhat perplexing that the figures in this survey which is partial and based on a loss adjuster approach are different from those of the Garda Síochána, given that I would expect every...

Crime Levels. (7 Dec 2006)

Michael McDowell: I am not; I am just trying to explain the difference because the Deputy's question is a serious one. It implies that a private sector body's report seems to differ substantially from that of the Central Statistics Office. I am slightly perplexed about how there could be such a wide divergence. It could be a definitional matter. A possible explanation is that the taking of a garden spade...

Crime Levels. (7 Dec 2006)

Michael McDowell: The answer to the last question is definitely yes. Visible community policing and the use of mountain bike patrols and the like comprise a very strong counter-agent to burglary. Deputy Burton who tabled the question seems to have gotten one point wrong because the burglary report states "Dublin continues to top Ireland's burglary table with a 12% increase in burglaries, representing 35% of...

Crime Levels. (7 Dec 2006)

Michael McDowell: I am just making the point that it is simply not correct for the benefit of those who are listening to this debate on their monitors.

Crime Levels. (7 Dec 2006)

Michael McDowell: It does not.

Crime Levels. (7 Dec 2006)

Michael McDowell: That is wrong; that is what I am asking the Deputy to appreciate. If he looks at the headline of the survey, he will note that it states, "Dublin continues to top Ireland's burglary table with a 12% increase in burglaries, representing 35% of all burglaries nationwide".

Crime Levels. (7 Dec 2006)

Michael McDowell: I am reading from the report.

Crime Levels. (7 Dec 2006)

Michael McDowell: I see that; it is further down.

Crime Levels. (7 Dec 2006)

Michael McDowell: The question reads, "35% in the Dublin area".

Crime Levels. (7 Dec 2006)

Michael McDowell: That is not true.

Crime Levels. (7 Dec 2006)

Michael McDowell: Yes, but one fact is that the number of burglaries did not increase by 35% in Dublin.

Crime Levels. (7 Dec 2006)

Michael McDowell: The Central Statistics Office has analysed the reported burglaries and, for the third quarter, it indicates an overall decrease in headline offences of 1.6%——

Crime Levels. (7 Dec 2006)

Michael McDowell: May I finish my answer? The CSO highlighted a rate of 12.2% in burglary offences in the third quarter. It is not a case of my trying to manipulate the figures. I am pointing out that the CSO has been given the job to monitor crime figures and that what it is saying does not seem to correspond——

Crime Levels. (7 Dec 2006)

Michael McDowell: I am not trying to get stuck into a statistical battle. I was asked to comment on a particular report by Eircom PhoneWatch and to accept the proposition that it has no axe to grind in this matter. It published this report to encourage people to use its alarm system.

Crime Levels. (7 Dec 2006)

Michael McDowell: The Deputy should calm down for a second. We have all agreed to ask the Central Statistics Office, CSO, to monitor crime figures and, having agreed to do that, let us stick with its statistics rather than use surveys which seem to be at variance with its statistics.

Crime Levels. (7 Dec 2006)

Michael McDowell: I would like to know if there is a problem with the CSO figures.

Crime Levels. (7 Dec 2006)

Michael McDowell: I am not willing to accept that, having entrusted the preparation of crime statistics to the CSO, I should now say that a commercial survey is more accurate.

Crime Levels. (7 Dec 2006)

Michael McDowell: I have indicated that, as far as I could see, the report to which Deputy Howlin drew my attention, was based on a sample prepared by a loss adjuster's firm.