Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 105: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on the figures for headline offences for the third quarter of 2006 published by the Central Statics Office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36240/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The provisional headline crime statistics for the third quarter of 2006 show a decrease of 1.6% for the quarter compared with the same quarter in 2005. These statistics are the first crime statistics to be published by the Central Statistics Office following my decision that new arrangements should be put in place.

As I have consistently done since I directed the quarterly publication of the figures in 2003, I once again emphasise that care must be taken in interpreting the statistics, especially when considering short term fluctuations and extrapolating trends over short periods.

Of particular note in the figures published for the third quarter are the decreases in murder and manslaughter offences (overall decrease of 6%) and sexual offences (overall decrease of 9%). There have also been significant decreases in the range of robbery and theft offences, including decreases of 43% in robberies of cash and goods in transit and of 24% in theft from the person.

The largest percentage increases have been in low volume crimes, such as aggravated sexual assault and false imprisonment, where a small increase in the number of crimes will result in a large percentage increase.

I welcome the large increase of 183% in the detection of the offences of cultivation, manufacture and importation of drugs, which is due to professional and skilful police work by An Garda Síochána, as well as the increased resources available.

Looking at longer term crime trends, the level of headline crime in 2005 was lower than that in 2002 by 4.4%. Furthermore, in 1995, when we had a population of almost 3.6 million, there were 29 crimes per 1,000 of the population, while in 2005, with a population of over 4.1 million, there were 24.6 crimes per 1,000 of the population — 15% less crimes per 1,000 of the population. By way of comparison, during 1995 and 1996, the last full two years of the Rainbow Government, when the population was 600,000 lower than it is at present, there were 29 and 28 crimes per 1,000 population in each of the two years.