MINISTER FOR JUSTICE, Helen McEntee has welcomed new data showing a 38% decrease in homicides and a 36% fall in burglaries in the second quarter of this year when compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

Attempts to, and threats to murder, as well as assault, harassment and related offences were up 21% however, as well as reports of sexual offences which rose 5.6%.

Minister McEntee welcomed the drop in burglaries noted in today’s publication of Recorded Crime Statistics by the Central Statistics Office.

“I welcome, in particular, the continued decrease in burglary and related crimes. Burglary is an invasion of not just a home but of the lives of victims. I am heartened to see that incidents of burglary and related offences are still down a great deal – 36% -  in comparison to 2019 figures.”

“While we still have a way to go, today’s figures are a welcome reminder that this collaborate effort benefits us all as we work towards an Ireland where every citizen can feel safe and be safe as they go about their day-to-day lives.”

Gardaí have launched Operation Thor, a plan designed specifically to tackle incidents of burglary throughout the country, the winter phase of which will commence at the start of October. 

Gardaí have been encouraged the public to clearly mark their property and make a record of it.

Objects that are clearly and obviously marked are less attractive to a thief as they are more difficult to sell on. 

Last week, Minister McEntee announced funding of €300,000 over the next 4 years for Property Marking Ireland, a not-for-profiT service, to further roll-out its services across the country.

An Garda Síochána also recently launched a new property app that allows the public to index and record their personal property, for example, bicycles, laptops, farm machinery etc.

People are encouraged to download the free app and to take photographs, record receipts and registration codes of their most valued items. 

McEntee also stated that the slight increase in reports of sexual offences may be linked to victims becoming less hesitant to speak out following her launch of ’Zero Tolerance’ in June: the third national five-year strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

“My hope is that the increase in reported sexual offences on last year is indicative of a growing trust in the system to support victims who have historically been under-supported, and also of a growing determination to treat sexual violence with zero tolerance by reporting crimes that have been historically under-reported,” she said.