Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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88. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the steps being taken by An Garda Síochána to enable the resumption of publication by the CSO of quarterly crime statistics; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2197/18]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for the work carried out by An Garda Síochána and I as Minister have no role in the matter referred to.

However, I understand that work is on going, between An Garda Síochána and the Central Statistics Office, to ensure that the publication of the official CSO crime statistics can recommence.  The CSO has postponed the publication of crime statistics pending the receipt of certain clarifications arising from a Garda review of the classification of different categories of homicide.

My Department continues to liaise with both the CSO and An Garda Síochána in order to ensure that the issues preventing the publication of crime statistics continue to receive appropriate attention and are prioritised.

While recent provisional operational figures from An Garda Síochána would appear to indicate that certain crime categories are on the rise, I was pleased to note a Garda press release last week which stated that, according to provisional operational figures, burglaries nationally fell by 23% during November and December under the Winter Phase of Operation Thor.

However, until such time as the CSO can resume its publication of the crime statistics, it would be unwise to draw any firm conclusions from them at this point. Needless to say, An Garda Síochána will continue to monitor all new and emerging crime trends and deploy their resources accordingly.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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89. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the extent to which each of the six recommendations of the Garda Inspectorate report on crime investigation 2014 directly related to the compilation of crime statistics has been implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2198/18]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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Following the publication of the Garda Inspectorate 'Crime Investigation' report in late 2014, my predecessor as Minister for Justice and Equality asked the Central Statistics Office to chair an Expert Group to examine each of the six recommendations relevant to them. The Expert Group consisted of officials from the CSO, An Garda Síochána and my Department, as well as Dr. Mary Rogan of Trinity College Dublin.

The Expert Group began its considerations in 2015 and a final report was published by my Department in July 2017. The report outlines the discussions and conclusions of the Group in relation to each of the six recommendations.

I am advised by the CSO that it continues to engage with An Garda Síochána in relation to a number of actions outlined in the report, including:

- Work on a new public facing document to explain to users of crime statistics the rules governing the recording and counting of crime incidents in Ireland.  This document will include detail on recording, classification, invalidation, reclassification, counting rules and detection rules.

- A revised Memorandum of Understanding between the CSO and An Garda Síochána to guarantee the CSO access to both crime and non-crime data was signed in 2017.  The CSO also receives technical documentation regarding updates, which affect how crimes are recorded.

- The CSO continues to examine PULSE data in order to improve the quality of crime data recording and inform users about related concerns. The CSO engages with An Garda Síochána via its High Level Liaison Group to outline and discuss data quality concerns.

- The CSO has outlined to An Garda Síochána its data requirements for a detailed assessment of PULSE data quality which will be carried out during 2018, based on incident and associated data reported during 2017.

Some €330 million, including €205 million under the Capital Plan, is being invested in Garda ICT infrastructure between 2016 and 2021. This major investment will allow An Garda Síochána to deploy the latest cutting edge technologies in the fight against crime and will facilitate progress on important reforms arising from the Garda Inspectorate's report on Crime Investigation, including those relevant to the compilation of crime statistics.