Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 413: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of crimes recorded and detected across all headings in Laois-Offaly Garda division for the years 1997 to 2005; inclusive, and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12933/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I am informed by the Garda authorities that the following table provides the total number of headline offences, by group, recorded and detected in the Garda division of Laois-Offaly for the years 2000 to 2005, inclusive.

The introduction of the PULSE computer system by the Garda Síochána in 1999 has led to more complete and comprehensive recording of crimes reported than was previously the case. Consequently the statistics provided for 1997 are not comparable to statistics provided for 2000 and subsequent years. The figures provided for 2000 and 2001 are incomplete due to the phased implementation of PULSE. The first full year captured is 2002 and is a more accurate base year to use.

It should be borne in mind that any interpretation of the crime figures should factor in the increase in our population in the past ten years. In 1995, with a population of almost 3.6 million people, there were 29 crimes per 1,000 of the population. In 2005, with a population of more than 4.1 million, there were 24.6 crimes per 1,000 of the population, a reduction of 4.4 crimes per 1,000 of the population. To put this in context, during the two full years of the rainbow coalition Government, with a population of 600,000 less than at present, the headline crime figures were as follows: 102,484 in 1995; and 100,785 in 1996.

It should also be noted that the headline offence of homicide includes not only murder and manslaughter but also the other homicide offences of infanticide, abortion, attempted murder and threat to murder. Over the six-year period shown in the table four murders were recorded with three detected, and one manslaughter was recorded with one detected.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 414: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of crimes recorded and detected across all headings in Kerry Garda division for the years 1997 to 2005, inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12934/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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It has not been possible in the time available to compile the information requested by the Deputy. I will contact the Deputy again when the information is to hand.

Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 415: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of crimes recorded and detected across all headings in Cork north and Cork west Garda division for the years 1997 to 2005, inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12935/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I am informed by the Garda authorities that the following tables provide the total number of headline offences, by group, recorded and detected in the Garda divisions of Cork north and Cork west for the years 2000 to 2005, inclusive.

The introduction of the PULSE computer system by the Garda Síochána in 1999 has led to more complete and comprehensive recording of crimes reported than was previously the case. Consequently the statistics provided for 1997 are not comparable to statistics provided for 2000 and subsequent years. The figures provided for 2000 and 2001 are incomplete due to the phased implementation of PULSE. The first full year captured is 2002 and is a more accurate base year to use.

It should be borne in mind that any interpretation of the crime figures should factor in the increase in our population in the past ten years. In 1995, with a population of almost 3.6 million people, there were 29 crimes per 1,000 of the population. In 2005, with a population of more than 4.1 million, there were 24.6 crimes per 1,000 of the population, a reduction of 4.4 crimes per 1,000 of the population. To put this in context, during the two full years of the rainbow coalition Government, with a population of 600,000 less than at present, the headline crime figures were as follows: 102,484 in 1995; and 100,785 in 1996.

It should also be noted that the headline offence of homicide includes not only murder and manslaughter but also the other homicide offences of infanticide, abortion, attempted murder and threat to murder. Over the six year period shown in the table for the Garda division of Cork north three murders were recorded with three detected and two manslaughters were recorded with two detected. In the same period in the Garda division of Cork west no murders were recorded, and one manslaughter was recorded that has not been detected to date.