Results of a Fine Gael survey claiming 77 per cent of crime victims do not contact the gardaí because they have no confidence the perpetrators would be caught, have been dismissed by the Department of Justice.
The survey was carried out over six weeks by Fine Gael spokesperson on social and community affairs, Mr Brian Hayes, who solicited the views of 1,000 constituents in south-west Dublin via a mailed questionnaire.
"Amongst those who reported crime to the Gardai, 51 per cent did not receive a satisfactory response. . . 77 per cent of people who did not report crimes to the Gardai did so on the basis that they had no confidence in the Gardai to apprehend the perpetrator of the crime," Mr Hayes said.
But the Minister for Justice Mr John O’Donoghue responded: "A combination of tough legislation, a significant increase in Garda resources which has seen this Government increase the Garda budget by 48 per cent, and the provision of an additional 1,200 prison spaces to ensure criminals serve their full sentences, have helped to secure this unprecedented drop in crime."