John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 477: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the provisional crime statistics for County Sligo over the past 12 months, detailing differences in the past number of years on certain figures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30192/05]

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 6 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. 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 table supplied provides the number of headline offences recorded and detected for the Garda Síochána districts of Sligo and Ballymote from 2000 to date in 2005. The statistics provided for 2004 and 2005 are provisional, operational and liable to change.