The provisional crime figures for the first quarter of this year show a 6 per cent reduction in the number of "headline" crimes, with a greater reduction in the most serious category of murder but an increase in the number of reported rapes.
The Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell also published the statistics for the twelve month period ending on 31 March which show a cumulative decrease of 2%.
The statistics show a substantial reduction of 36% or 5 cases in the number of murders. However, a notable increase was recorded in some of the sexual offences categories, including rape of a female (up by 41 cases to 181) and rape section 4 (up 3 cases to 21).
However, the Garda Commissioner informed the Minister that the increase in these crimes was as a result of the recent reporting of approximately 60 historical offences dating from the 1960s.
The number of assaults causing harm recorded in the first quarter of 2004 decreased further by 18% or 204 fewer cases over the substantial decreases noted in this category in 2003.
The total reduction for the twelve months ending on 31 March 2004 is 16% or 733 fewer cases.
There was also an increase in the number of recorded offences in the discharge of a firearm and the Minister said he was "considering, in the context of the forthcoming Criminal Justice Bill, what might be done to strengthen the law in this area."
Minister McDowell emphasised that the figures are provisional and are thus subject to change. The data is currently the subject of an ongoing validation process. The Garda Commissioner's Annual Report for 2003 will be published once this process is complete.