‘Crime down’

THE crime rate for the first quarter of this year is down 11% on the same period last year, Justice Minister Michael McDowell revealed at the weekend.

Mr McDowell said he had just received the figures from Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy and these will be published in detail today.

And the headline crime figures, which include all indictable offences, will also reveal that the overall rate of crime in the past year is down 7%, Mr McDowell said.