Number of sex crimes, gun offences and murders rose last year

SEX crimes, murders and gun offences jumped last year, according to official figures.

The total number of serious crimes increased by 3% last year - the first annual rise since 2002.

The last three months of 2005 noted the most dramatic quarterly increase in recent years, with a 10% jump in serious crime.

The provisional 2005 figures for headline offences, or serious crimes, show:

* 8% rise in the total number of sexual offences, from 1,570 to 1,699

* 46% jump in murders, from 37 to 54

* 20% increase in drug supply offences, from 2,162 to 2,594

* 16% rise in firearms possession cases, from 365 to 424

* 7% increase in shootings, from 292 to 313

Launching the figures yesterday, Justice Minister Michael McDowell said: "I am very disappointed with the overall increase and the increases in individual categories, and in particular with the increase of 10% in the fourth quarter of 2005."

He said the rise in some offences was partly due to greater garda efforts.

"Firearms and drugs seizures are up. That is good news as this is the gardaí doing their job and finding these weapons and these drugs. So you have to read behind the figures very, very carefully.

"I am not happy when anything goes up. And as we know, in the past year there was a spate of gangland murders (19 of the 54 total) and also a considerable number of homicides involving people from ethnic communities living in this country, and these are worrying developments."

He said there were significant reductions in many offences, including manslaughter (down 50%), aggravated sexual assault (down 43%), robbery of cash/goods in transit (down 37%) and robbery from the person (down 23%).

Cliona Saidler of the Rape Crisis Network criticised the Justice Minister for concentrating on the only sexual offence, out of the five types sexual offence, that fell.

"Michael McDowell talked about aggravated sexual assault being down by 43%. Given those figures relate to 14 cases and eight cases, it's a bit much to trumpet that when everything else is on the slow steady increase," she said.

She said she hoped the increase in sexual offences was partly due to an increased willingness of victims to report the crime. She said there had also been a rise in the level of violence accompanying sexual crimes.

Figures for the last quarter of 2005 compared to the same period in 2004 show female rape cases rose 52%.

Fine Gael justice spokesman Jim O'Keeffe said Ireland was in the "grip of a crime epidemic" and criticised Mr McDowell for failing to provide the promised 2,000 extra gardaí.

Mr McDowell said population changes must be factored in.

"In 1995, with a population of almost 3.6 million people, there were 29 crimes per 1,000 of the population. In 2005, with a population of 4.1 million, there was the equivalent of 24.6 crimes per 1,000 of the population."