Weapon and explosive crimes up 6% as most other offences fall, CSO figures show

Ottoline Spearman

Crimes using weapons and explosives have increased by 6 per cent as of last year, figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) have shown.

This was the category that saw the largest increase in incidents in the last quarter of 2025, with public order offences also increasing by 2 per cent.

Attempts or threats to murder, assaults, harassments and related offences increased by 2 per cent as well.

The data relates specifically to crime incidents, which can encompass several separate offences.

Commenting on the rise in weapon-related crime, Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan said: "I am assured by the Garda Commissioner that An Garda Síochána are well equipped and committed to confronting this issue so that we stop any weapon, particularly guns, coming into Ireland."

"Alongside enforcement, long term, evidence-based strategies are needed to address issues such as knife crime as part of a wider strategic response to anti-social behaviour, street violence, youth offending and domestic violence.

"My department is progressing targeted interventions through youth diversion projects that work directly with young offenders and, at a wider community level, through the roll out of Local Community Safety Partnerships in all Local Authority areas.

"The Gardaí are taking proactive measures to confront this issue through their assault reduction strategy, which targets all types of assaults in public, including the use of knives."

The figures also show that crimes in most other categories have decreased.

Significantly, homicide related incidents were down by 25 per cent, while incidents relating to kidnapping decreased by 21 per cent.

Burglaries were reduced by 13 per cent, with robbery, extortion and hijacking down 11 per cent.

Meanwhile, the number of male victims fell by 1 per cent to 3,543, while the number of female victims fell by 4 per cent to 2,329 in Q4 2025.

The number of victims for attempted murder and related threats, as well as assaults and harrassments fell by 2 per cent to 5,872.

Assaults against children fell by 17 per cent, while assaults against boys fell by 14 per cent.

However, assaults against those over 60 rose by 13 per cent.

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