merrion street

The Minister for Justice and Equality, Mr. Charlie Flanagan TD, has today (Tuesday 25 July 2017) published the report of the CSO Expert Group on Crime Statistics, which he welcomed as a significant step towards further improvement in the area. The Expert Group, comprised of representatives from the CSO, An Garda Síochána and the Department of Justice and Equality, as well as Professor Mary Rogan of Trinity College Dublin, was set up on foot of the 2014 Garda Inspectorate report on Crime Investigation. It examined six recommendations directly relating to the compilation of crime statistics.

Minister Flanagan praised the commitment being shown to improving the quality of crime statistics: “It is important that we seek ongoing and continuous improvement in the compilation of crime statistics to ensure that the data we rely on is of the highest possible quality, and this work sets out a number of recommendations to be taken forward.

“Robust data informs the operational decisions made by the Garda Síochána in terms of the development of policing strategies and targeting of resources, and it provides important inputs into the evidence-based policy-making process pursued by my Department in the ongoing reform of the criminal law.

“That is why I am very happy to see the progress that is being made and to see a series of tangible actions set out.”