Ireland's burglary crimes down 31 pct in year to September

The total number of burglary offenses recorded in the year to September in Ireland showed a decrease of 31.2 percent on the previous year, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) said on Monday.

In addition to the big drop in burglary, there have been welcome reductions in other categories of property crimes, including theft, down 14.6 percent, and robbery, down 11.1 percent, the CSO said.

But the CSO figures showed that the number of sexual offenses recorded in the year to September rose by 6.6 percent on the previous year.

There was also a 6.1 percent increase in drink-driving offenses during the period, according to the CSO.

Frances Fitzgerald, Irish deputy prime minister and minister for justice and equality, highlighted a big drop in the level of burglary crimes, saying that Irish police authorities will continue the crackdown to ensure the safety and security of people in their homes all over Ireland.

When commenting on the increase in sexual offenses, Fitzgerald mentioned the recent debates on the new criminal law, which she hopes to see enacted in early 2017.

The deputy prime minister has prioritized this new legislation, with wide ranging provisions incorporating enhanced protections for victims of sexual offenses in the criminal process as well as measures to enhance the protection of children from sexual abuse and exploitation.

The deputy prime minister also mentioned other upcoming legislation which is designed to deal more effectively with criminal behavior and support communities and victims of crime, including the recently published proposals to strengthen the operation of the bail system. Endit