The Minister for Justice has expressed his disappointment at the increase in serious crime which is revealed by the 2001 Garda annual report.
Commenting on the report, published yesterday, Mr McDowell announced a national crime victimisation survey, to begin in 2004 and to be conducted independently at intervals, and also the setting-up of an expert group on crime statistics.
The report reiterates figures already revealed by Mr 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.
This is only the second year that the statistics have been generated from the Garda PULSE computer system.
The Garda Commissioner, Mr Pat Byrne, pointed out in the report that the system allowed more comprehensive analysis of Garda statistics. For example, the break-down of figures includes prosecutions, when they occurred, and their outcome.
Mr Byrne said that the detection rate of 41 per cent, while 1 per cent down on 2000, was high by international standards.
Meanwhile, he authorised yesterday the publication of an internal report into detection rates in the Waterford district, which were the subject of controversy last year. Normally the results of internal Garda inquiries are not published.
The detection rates for more serious offences are higher than the 41 per cent average, ranging from 87 per cent in homicide to 71 per cent in sexual offences.
Before the introduction of PULSE, crime figures were recorded under two headings: indictable and non-indictable. That meant triable by a judge and jury and summarily before a district court.
Under PULSE, "headline" crime is, in the main, what was previously described as indictable.
According to the report, when PULSE is fully up and running, it will produce crime statistics with two tables - detailing headline and non-headline crime - and showing what crimes were reported and what were detected. However, that level of detail for non-indictable crime will not be available until next year's annual report.
There are a number of new categories in these statistics, including harassment and the possession of chemical weapons. Earlier classifications like larceny of horses, other livestock and other property, are subsumed into a broader larceny category.
Mr McDowell reiterated the Government's determination to take all necessary measures to respond to criminal behaviour.
He said the reversal in the crime figures, which had previously been showing a decline, underlined the continued need for robust responses to offending behaviour.
It showed the need for the criminal justice system to adapt constantly to increasing levels and evolving patterns of crime.
The response should continue to be multi-faceted, he said. As well as ensuring that the Garda Síochána had a solid legislative framework and sufficient resources at its disposal, the Government had put in place strategies to tackle the causes of crime, especially by dealing in a coherent way with issues of social exclusion.
The Fine Gael spokesman on justice, Mr John Deasy, said that unless the Government employed extra manpower and resources immediately, the situation would spiral out of control.
Since Mr McDowell took office, crime figures had worsened, no extra funding for the promised 2,000 gardaí was apparent and no new justice legislation had been enacted. He said he supported many of the measures announced by the Department of Justice, but there was little or no chance of any legislation being enacted soon.
"They are giving the misleading impression that results are imminent when, at the earliest, it will be months and most probably years before any of the promised legislation is given effect," he said.