Written answers

Tuesday, 4 March 2025

Department of Justice and Equality

Departmental Data

Photo of Peadar TóibínPeadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

513. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of arrests for drug offences in each county in each of the past ten years, in tabular form. [9334/25]

Photo of Jim O'CallaghanJim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Tackling drug dealing and associated criminal activity is a top priority for An Garda Síochána and the Government. The Government is investing record amounts into An Garda Síochána to target those involved in the sale and supply of illegal drugs through Operation Tara. Operation Tara has a strong focus on tackling street-level dealing across the country, and also seeks to disrupt and dismantle the drug trafficking networks that impact on our communities and prosecute those involved at every level.

The Government is committed to limiting access to illegal drugs to the greatest extent possible and have taken a number of direct actions to tackle this, including by:

  • Increasing the maximum sentence for conspiracy to murder from 10 years to life in prison to tackle those who direct gangland and drug related crime;
  • Introducing new legislation which criminalises the grooming of children into a life of crime;
  • Rolling out a support programme to break the link between the gangs and the children they try to recruit.
Work is also ongoing in my Department on the Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Bill, which will strengthen CAB’s ability to target the proceeds of crime and speed up the process to dispose of the asset for the benefit of the State.

In accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including for all operational policing matters. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.

The table below, which has been provided to me by the Garda Authorities, sets out the count of arrests associated with the Misuse of Drugs Acts in each Garda Division from 2015 to December 2024.

Region/Division Count of Custody Logs by Custody Year: Arrest Reason Drugs
Dublin Region 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
D.M.R. Eastern 83 83 88 103 120 148 128 88 79 70
D.M.R. North Central 818 638 522 609 683 748 642 702 817 782
D.M.R. Northern 256 292 290 284 476 513 495 451 485 557
D.M.R. South Central 329 340 490 517 783 898 618 456 621 646
D.M.R. Southern 219 214 250 226 384 515 456 361 325 275
D.M.R. Western 342 347 297 388 577 749 696 524 512 460
Eastern Region
Kildare Div 99 132 159 191 261 287 266 202 227 213
Laois/Offaly 136 179 235 291 224 273 227 180 247 190
Meath/Westmeath 137 292 245 236 260 280 250 136 218 173
Waterford/Kilkenny/Carlow 169 211 259 238 287 451 501 375 331 246
Wexford/Wicklow 186 219 194 184 223 284 313 237 226 147
North Western Region
Donegal 39 58 76 70 147 170 161 130 91 76
Galway Div 107 134 132 81 83 122 101 138 214 192
Louth/Cavan/Monaghan 118 127 196 173 242 351 283 189 170 166
Mayo/Roscommon/Longford 89 135 127 139 109 212 188 106 107 105
Sligo/Leitrim 34 36 38 26 59 33 38 24 27 29
Southern Region
Clare/Tipperary 224 226 249 222 241 271 293 229 179 132
Cork City 258 243 205 248 245 350 339 238 232 259
Cork County 138 163 184 208 204 285 272 229 231 181
Kerry 122 129 158 143 177 112 148 152 107 109
Limerick 188 277 232 204 229 259 262 240 220 170

This is operational data extracted from PULSE at the end of February 2025, and is subject to change.

Photo of Peadar TóibínPeadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

514. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of reported burglaries in each county in each of the past ten years, in tabular form. [9335/25]

Photo of Jim O'CallaghanJim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the operational policing response to burglary and Operation Thor is An Garda Síochána's national response to burglary.

Operation Thor actively targets organised crime gangs and repeat offenders through co-ordinated crime prevention and enforcement activity based on intelligence and the latest burglary trends.

One focus area of Operation Thor is crime prevention through visible, focused patrols at specific times of day, targeting burglary ‘hot-spots’ and also utilising high-visibility check points that prevent ease of movement.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical agency, is responsible for the compilation and publication of all crime statistics.

The CSO produces these statistics using data recorded on An Garda Síochána’s PULSE system and makes regular releases in relation to various crime statistics.

The most recent statistics were released on 3 March 2025, providing statistics for Recorded Crime for Quarter 3 of 2024.

The most recent figures in respect of recorded crime incidents can be found on the CSO website at the following link:

Photo of Peadar TóibínPeadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

515. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons arrested for burglaries in each county in each of the past ten years, in tabular form. [9336/25]

Photo of Jim O'CallaghanJim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the operational policing response to burglary and Operation Thor is An Garda Síochána's national response to burglary.

Operation Thor actively targets organised crime gangs and repeat offenders through co-ordinated crime prevention and enforcement activity based on intelligence and the latest burglary trends.

One focus area of Operation Thor is crime prevention through visible, focused patrols at specific times of day, targeting burglary ‘hot-spots’ and also utilising high-visibility check points that prevent ease of movement.

The table below, which was provided to me by the Garda authorities, sets out the number of arrests for burglary by Division in the years 2015 up to the end of 2024. Please be advised that this information is operational and may be subject to change.

Arrest - Burglary 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
DMR East 159 143 179 171 127 146 100 79 60 60
DMR North Central 262 241 203 185 181 175 129 137 177 159
DMR North 270 194 222 186 131 166 118 115 161 144
DMR South Central 351 317 288 261 244 297 190 222 194 202
DMR South 285 223 191 182 171 175 111 125 137 91
DMR West 318 200 161 143 131 178 107 153 124 76
Kildare 140 122 117 107 109 86 74 65 65 85
Laois/Offaly 138 141 91 85 93 93 73 64 79 60
Meath/Westmeath 172 133 133 92 125 148 78 61 99 77
Waterford/Kilkenny/Carlow 286 224 230 203 207 204 120 136 132 136
Wexford/Wicklow 220 170 157 162 142 149 135 114 80 94
Donegal 37 24 50 48 72 49 38 37 30 37
Galway 116 99 81 80 67 72 41 51 47 49
Louth/Cavan/Monaghan 234 174 182 187 141 152 109 73 90 86
Mayo/Roscommon/Longford 117 107 98 83 54 74 79 57 58 56
Sligo/Leitrim 31 30 28 30 24 35 16 17 <10 14
Clare/Tipperary 274 209 168 176 125 119 106 102 89 78
Cork City 233 148 175 145 100 143 92 94 93 92
Cork County 105 73 63 61 64 60 57 44 60 52
Kerry 107 54 75 64 56 56 45 36 46 44
Limerick 225 175 179 163 137 154 125 101 85 100
Total 4080 3201 3071 2814 2501 2731 1943 1883 1906 1792

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.