Opposition parties in the Dáil have slated the Government following the release of the Garda Commissioners 2001 report which showed a major increase in the level of serious crime in the State.
The report confirmed figures already revealed by the Minister for Justice, Mr Michael McDowell last July, which showed an increase in headline crime of 18 per cent, with even more dramatic increases in serious assaults, sexual assaults and murder.
Offences covered by the term "headline" include homicide, assault, sexual offences, arson, drugs, larcenies, burglaries, robberies and fraud.
Fine Gael justice spokesperson, Mr John Deasy, said that unless the Government employs extra manpower and resources immediately the situation will spiral out of control.
"If the situation on the streets is to improve we need more guards and more resources in our criminal justice system," he said.
"We also need members of the government to own up to the fact that our legislative system isn't working properly.
". . .Minister McDowell has some great ideas and brings a fresh approach to the entire portfolio. However, since he took office, crime figures have worsened, no extra funding for the promised 2,000 guards is apparent and no new justice legislation has been enacted."
Labour justice spokesperson, Mr Joe Costello described the publication of the crime figures as "an indictment of the Government."
He criticised Mr McDowell for withholding the figures which, he said, were available as early as last January until after the general election and said that again the Government had deceived the general public.
"His decision not to publish them until after the election was exposed last July when Michael McDowell was left to reveal the bad news about the shocking rise in crime," he said.
"Now, confirmation of these figures comes by way of the Garda report which reiterates the fact that the Government has lost control of the streets."
He also called on the Government to honour its election commitment to increasing the number of Garda on the beat.
The Green Party described Mr McDowell's suggestion that he had put in place strategies to tackle the causes of crime as 'a joke'.
"The Government has made a mess of the economy and has now presided over an alarming rise in crime," he said.
Once again we see the devastating results of a Government that has rowed back on its General Election promises.
"Where is the Government's much publicised provision of 2,000 extra gardaí? This promise seems to have vanished without trace."