THE Garda report shows that 42 people were murdered last year, compared with 43 in 1995. Almost half of those killed were women.
Of the 19 women murdered last year, 11 were killed as a result of a domestic dispute. Three murders were sex-related while there were five others, including the killing of the journalist Veronica Guerin.
The Garda Commissioner, Mr Byrne, said the force's "detection rate" for this type of crime remained high, with 14 of the 19 cases leading to charges and files being sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions in two other cases. The charges represented a detection rate of over 75 per cent, compared to the overall crime detection rate of 41 per cent.
Responding to suggestions that the force should have a new missing persons bureau, the Commissioner said he believed there was sufficient co- ordination among Garda units involved in missing persons investigations. Of the 1,848 cases last year which gave rise to Garda concern, only eight people remained untraced and the force was leaving "no stone unturned" in those outstanding cases.