Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 19: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the crime level across all headings for the Arklow area in 1997. [16169/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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In regard to crime figures, the Deputy will be aware that on becoming Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, I arranged for the publication of headline crime statistics on a quarterly basis to improve the quality of information available to the public. While caution should be exercised in interpreting levels of crime between quarters, I am pleased to note that during my term of office as Minister, the quarterly crime rate has decreased from 6.7 per 1,000 population to six per 1,000 over the longer period of 11 quarters for which figures are available. This trend is reflected throughout most Garda districts in the country. In interpreting these figures, account has also to be taken of the introduction of the new PULSE computer system by the Garda Síochána in 1999, which led to more complete and comprehensive recording of crimes reported than was previously the case. The Deputy will also wish to be aware that, taking into account the significant increase in our population since 1995, the headline crime rate has fallen from 29 per 1,000 population in 1995 to 25 per 1,000 population in 2004.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that the following table shows the indictable offences, by group, for the Garda district of Gorey which includes the Arklow area. It is important to note that the figures shown for 1997 are not comparable to statistics provided for the years 2000 onwards due to the introduction of the PULSE computer system by the Garda Síochána in 1999.