Country not in crime wave, says McDowell

JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell has insisted the country is not in the middle of a crime wave.

“Ireland is not in the middle of a crime wave and it is an exaggeration to say it is,” Mr McDowell said.

But Fine Gael justice spokesman Jim O’Keeffe said the minister was ignoring a clear increase in the number of crimes since the Fianna Fáil-PD coalition took office in 1997.