Almost one-fifth of people rate gardaí as ‘poor or very poor’

Almost one-fifth of people across the country (18 per cent) rated gardaí in their area as "poor or very poor", up from 13 per cent in 2010, a Central Statistics Office (CSO) survey found.

The CSO Crime and Victimisation survey also reports 59 per cent of people do not have faith in the criminal justice system, the same figure as in 2010.

Irish people are reporting higher levels of personal crimes, but the percentage of households experiencing crime has dropped, according to the survey.

The CSO research found 8 per cent of Irish households were the victims of crime between October 2014 and September 2015, down from 9 per cent in 2010, the last comparable study, and the lowest level since the study began in 1998.

Around 3 per cent of households reported a burglary, unchanged from 2010, and there were major geographical variations in the levels of household crime, with 13 per cent of Dublin homes affected compared to just 3 per cent in the west.

The level of personal crime committed against adults across the State increased from 4 per cent in 2010 to 5 per cent last year.

Males aged 18 to 24 are most likely to be the victims of personal crime, with 7 per cent of this cohort reporting incidents such as violence and theft.

Those over 65 are at the lowest risk of suffering personal crime.

Foreign nationals are more likely to be the victims of crime, with 6 per cent of this group experiencing personal crime.

Almost a quarter of all reported thefts across the period involved smartphones.

The statistics, compiled every few years, also deal with attitudes to crime and security.

Nearly four out of 10 households that experienced crime never reported it to gardaí, a figure which rises to 46 per cent where personal crimes are involved.

The most common reasons given for not reporting crimes was that victims felt the crime was not serious enough, that they did not suffer any loss, or that they felt the gardaí would not be able to do anything about it.

People in the Mid East region - comprising some of the midlands, Leinster and the Dublin commuter belt - were particularly worried about serious crime in their area, with 35 per cent of respondents citing this as a source of fear compared to 13 per cent in the west.

Despite being the most to suffer personal crime, 18- to 24 year-olds are least likely to worry about victimisation, with just under a quarter of this group concerned. This trend is repeated among foreign nationals.

In contrast, almost half of over-65s are concerned about serious crime affecting them, even though they are statistically the least likely to be on the receiving end.

Overall, 6 out of 10 people do not worry about becoming victims of crime. Homes in affluent areas are most likely to be burgled, and somebody was present in the house for 48 per cent of burglaries reported.

The survey results come following last month’s quarterly CSO crime statistics that showed a drop in many types of crime including burglary and public order offences.

The Crime and Victimisation figures show more modest fluctuations between years, and are not susceptible to misreporting by gardaí, as has been an issue with other releases, because the surveys are distributed directly to households.

The Crime and Victimisation figures do not deal with sexual crimes or domestic violence as these topics are deemed “too sensitive and personal” for a general household survey.