Figures show just third of serious crime solved

Only a third of all serious crime is solved, and the murder rate is rising steadily, according to new figures released today.

In a major report on Irish society over the past decade, the Central Statistics Offices (CSO) revealed that the rate of reported serious crimes in Ireland has dropped slightly since 2002.

There were 27.2 headline crimes per 1,000 people reported in 2002. This rate fell to just over 25 in 2003 and was 26.4 last year.

However, it is still a marked increase from a rate of 19.3 crimes for every thousand population in 2000.

Some 44.3 per cent of all serious crimes happened in Dublin, which has less than 30 per cent of the population.

The capital also has one of the lowest detection rates in the State at 33.4 per cent last year. More crimes are solved in the southern region than any other, with a rate of 41 per cent.

The overall detection rate in the State was only 35.4 per cent in 2005.

Ireland's murder rate has been rising steadily since the 1970s.

Forty-five men and nine women were murdered in the Republic last year, up from 31 males and six females in the previous 12 months. There have been 26 violent deaths so far this year.

Labour Party justice spokesman Brendan Howlin said the figures showed the Government was failing to tackle the problem of crime

Fifty-two people were killed in both 2002 and 2003. In 1997, 1998, and 1999, the level of murders was constant, at 38. There were 11 murders in 1970.

Labour Party justice spokesman Brendan Howlin said the figures showed the Government was failing to tackle Ireland's crime problem.

"Taken together with the Garda figures for the first quarter of 2006 which showed a further increase in serious offences, these figures point to a significant crime problem that the Taoiseach and the Minister for Justice simply cannot continue to downplay," he said.

Mr Howlin said the rise in the murder rate was due to the increase in gangland gun killings. He said the detection rates for such incidents were particularly low.

There were 75 murders in which guns were used between 1998 and 2004. Proceedings were initiated in just 26 cases and convictions were recorded in just 12 cases.

"The strongest deterrent against serious crime is the prospect of prosecution and conviction but, based on these figures, the gun gangs have little to fear," Mr Howlin said.