Burglaries and fraud are both on the rise, latest official figures show.
Last year saw an almost 8 per cent jump in the number of burglary and related cases reported to the gardaí compared with the previous year.
Over the same period there was also a significant surge in investigations launched into fraud and deception - up more than 6 per cent, from 4,996 in 2010 to 5,311 in 2011.
But apart from a very slight (0.1 per cent) increase in thefts, there was a decrease in all other major categories of crime, the latest Central Statistics Office (CSO) report shows.
There was an almost 30 per cent drop in the number of killings, including murder and manslaughter, down to 63 from 89 the previous year.
Attempts or threats to murder, along with assaults and harassment, dipped more than 6 per cent while drug offences were down more than 11 per cent.
Kidnapping offences also plunged by more than 22 per cent, the recorded crime figures show.
While welcoming a decrease in most categories Minister for Justice and Equality Alan Shatter he was “concerned” at the rise in burglaries.
“The increase in burglary and some other property offences emphasises the importance of vigilance and effective crime prevention.”
“The overall trend shows a decrease in most types of crime, including homicide, assault, criminal damage and drug and public order offences. Taken together this overall decrease represents a substantial achievement for law enforcement and crime prevention in Ireland,” he added.
PA