There has been a dramatic rise in the number of drug offences recorded in the past three months and a significant increase over the year as whole.
Although overall headline figures showed a relatively small increase this year, there was a sizeable upsurge in robbery, burglary, arson and fraud.
Jim O'Keeffe, Fine Gael
Theft from the person, sexual offences, and dangerous driving causing death or serious injury experienced marked decline.
The Central Statistics Office, which today published figures for the first time, said there had been 153 more drug offences in the third quarter of this year compared to the same period last year - a 25.8 per cent increase.
The comparison for the first nine months compared to the same period in 2005 showed an 8.6 per cent increase.
Cultivation, manufacture or importation of drugs jumped a massive 183 per cent in the third quarter of the year on the back of 33 more seizures, particularly in Garda operations in Co Meath and Dublin.
The success for the Garda and Customs was sustained throughout the year, with the figure for the first nine months showing a 62.5 per cent increase compared to 2005.
Thefts, which account for over half of all recorded headline offences, continued to decline with a year-on-year fall of 314 or 23 per cent in the third quarter - down 19.8 per cent over the three quarters.
Burglaries fell fractionally over the nine months but here was an increase in robbery from the person which was up 15.2 per cent in the third quarter 7.3 per cent for the year to date.
Arson increased consistently by almost a quarter this year with an increase of 95 (+ 23.6 per cent) recorded in the third quarter.
There were also significant increases in the number of deception and false pretences offences recorded in 2006 up 24.1 per cent this year. Other fraud offences fell.
Brendan Howlin, Labour Party
The Government have been on a prolonged campaign against road deaths this year and will be pleased with 31.7 per cent in dangerous driving causing death or serious injury.
There was also a decline in sexual offences, down 12.5 per cent this year; murder and mansluaghter was down marginally while murder attempts were virtually unchanged.
Labour Party justice spokesman Brendan Howlin said the statistics demonstrate the need for more gardai and better community policing.
Mr Howlin said: "It is clear that we are mired in the middle of a crime wave. The question arises therefore has the Government and the Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, simply settled on an acceptable level of crime in Ireland?"
Fine Gael justice spokesman Jim O'Keeffe said the figures show a new State initiative is needed to tackle drug crime.
He said the seizure of heroin valued at €15 million this week - the highest in the State's history -showed Ireland is "awash with drugs".
"Gangland criminals are stronger than ever and are laughing in the face of the Minister for Justice," Mr O'Keeffe said.
He also welcomed the CSO taking over responsibility for compiling the figures from the Garda saying they were "the first to be issued without any spin".
The methodology for compiling the statistics used by the CSO is the same as that used by the Garda though consideration is being given to changes presentation and classification in the future, a CSO spokeswoman said.
Overall the number of recorded headline offences increased from 75,288 in the first three quarters of 2005 to 77,610 in the corresponding period of 2006 - an increase of 3.1 per cent.
A recorded offence is defined as an incidents known to gardai which, on the balance of probability is regarded by a Garda as a criminal offence and there is no credible evidence to the contrary.