In 2022 we were back to living our lives and getting out and about again, but unfortunately during this time burglars were also on the move. According to the latest CSO statistics on burglary, there was an 10% increase in burglaries in 2022 compared to 2021. This is the first annual increase in the rate of burglaries for five years! The new statistics released by the CSO reveals that there were nearly 9,500 burglaries nationwide throughout 2022. 

The increase in burglary rates is widespread across the country, with a large majority (21 of the 28) of Garda Divisions reporting a year-on-year increase. The counties with the highest increase in burglary rates in 2022 were Meath with a 34% increase followed, closely by Mayo with a 33% increase. Kerry saw a 28% increase, and Kildare 26% while Dublin and its regions saw a 13% increase from 2021 to 2022. In contrast, there were some counties who had decreases in the rate of burglaries, Sligo and Leitrim decreased by 18%, Cork North decreased by 14% and Galway decreased by 8%. Read more here.

Data published over the past 10 years by the Central Statistics Office reveals that on average 1 in every 10 homes in Ireland has experienced a burglary in that period, with a total of 182,609 burglaries reported.

PhoneWatch has once again published their annual burglary report which outlines their research into burglary patterns over the past ten years. For the report, they looked at 10 years’ worth of CSO Burglary stats along with their own data from their Dublin based Alarm Receiving Centre and some consumer research conducted through Bounce Insights.

Data from the Phonewatch Alarm Receiving Centre shows that those with a monitored home alarm are over 4 times less likely to be burgled!

3 out of 4 (72%) Irish homeowners are concerned about a break-in in their homes, with over a third (39%) feeling worried when home alone. The time of year has a huge impact on how safe people feel, with over half (58%) feeling least protected throughout the winter months and 64% feeling particularly unsafe at night-time. PhoneWatch urges all homeowners to take the necessary preventative measures and continue to protect their homes and their cherished items inside.

Although 80% of people have never had a home break-in, or a smoke or fire incident (87%), that doesn’t stop over 40% of us regularly asking our neighbours to check in on our homes while we are not there but this does not deter burglars, as they can be aware that a home is left unoccupied and your neighbours can’t protect your home 24/7.

Speaking about the most recent figures for 2022, Eoin Dunne, Managing Director of PhoneWatch said “It’s worrying to see a 33% increase in the nationwide burglary rate and indeed an increase across most counties in Ireland. If this rate of increase was to continue until the end of the year, there would be approximately 11,500 burglaries in 2022. At PhoneWatch, our aim is never to scare or unnecessarily frighten people, but to make them aware of the realities of burglary so that they can take the preventative measures to help prevent such occurrences. Above all else, PhoneWatch want people to feel safe in their homes. We are reminding all homeowners to take simple but effective steps to help avoid the trauma of a burglary, especially as the dark evenings close in.”