Headline crime has falled by 1 per cent in the second quarter of the year but the murder rate remains high, according to figures released by the Department of Justice.
Minister for Justice Michael McDowell
There were 24,373 serious crimes recorded in the second quarter compared to 24,569 in the same quarter last year.
But there were 16 murders in the second quarter of 2006, compared to 12 in the first quarter and 15 in the same period last year.
Minsiter for Justice Michael McDowell said that although he would like to commend the Gardaí for making a number of significant arrests and firearms finds the battle against the drugs trade is an continuous one.
"There are a number of people in Ireland who have no value at all for human life and those are the people who have the collection of glock pistols and machine guns with silencers," the Minister said.
"They've total contempt for the lives of the addicts that they've ruined and it doesn't cost them a thought to do the same to people who get in their way in any other sense," he added.
There were no manslaughters in the first or second quarters of this year compared to three between the end of March and the end of June in 2005.
Rape and sexual assaults fell in all categories. Rape of a female was down 26 per cent from 87 to 64, Section 4 rape (with an implement or oral rape) dropped 38 per cent from 29 to 18 year-on-year, while there were no aggravated sexual assaults recorded in the second quarter.
Unlawful carnal knowledge dropped by 47 per cent from 17 in the second quarter of 2005 to nine in the same period of this year, however, the Minsiter did concede that he had "no doubt" there was an under-reporting of sexual crime.
Arson jumped 49 per cent from 281 in the second quarter of 2005 to 418 in the second quarter of this year. Robbery from the person (+18 per cent), theft from a shop (+12 per cent) and theft from vehicles (+7 per cent) also rose.
Possession of drugs for sale or supply was down 8 per cent, possession of firearms down 30 per cent, while discharge of firearms was down 4 per cent.
Mr McDowell said there was "no room at all for complacency"
"The public expects that the crime rate will be tackled consistently and effectively and in a manner that maximises the return on the greatly increased strength and resources which the taxpayer has provided," he said.
However, Fine Gael's Jim O'Keeffe accused the Government of losing the fight against gangland criminals.
"There has been a dramatic 33 per cent rise in the murder rate since the start of the year, from 12 in the first quarter of 2006 to 16 in the second quarter. This increase in the murder rate within six months shows how the Government is still losing the fight against gangland," he said.
"The Government has never lived up to its promise to provide the 2,000 extra Gardaí that it promised in 2002. We are now seeing the results of this negligence," Mr O'Keeffe added.
Labour's Brendan Howlin said there was "no basis whatsoever for the Government to indulge in self-congratulations or to believe it is getting to grips with Ireland's crime epidemic".
"The simple fact remains that increasing the number of visible Gardai on the street would both deter criminals and reassure the public that something is being done to lower crime levels" he said before he also criticised the Government for failing to recruit extra Gardaí.