The areas that experienced the largest number of burglaries in Ireland over 2025 have been revealed, as burglary rates decreased by 13% to a 5-year low.
The east was hardest hit with Dublin and Wicklow both seeing 26 break-ins per 10,000 residents, followed by Louth at 25 incidents per 10,000 people. These counties’ rates were 50% above the national average.
However, half of the 26 counties surveyed saw burglary rates fall, with Roscommon having the sharpest decline of 78% fewer incidents.
On The Claire Byrne Show, Peter Murray, a Fellow of the Security Institute of Ireland, said there is no one single explanation as to why burglary rates are falling.
He welcomed the decline in rates and wondered whether more people are following security advice. However, he noted the “stark differences” between different areas.
He argued that there are several reasons certain areas may be targeted, including “population density, opportunity, accessibility, [and] housing patterns.”
Advice to avoid burglaries
Mr. Murray explained that the Security Institute of Ireland primarily dealt with random burglaries and offered listeners advice on how to protect their homes.
He noted that burglars may see opportunities if a bin is left outside the home after the collection time, or if the blinds are pulled during the afternoon.
He advised listeners to “leave a car in your drive,” as the Security Institute of Ireland have found that passers-by believe someone is in the house.
Additionally, Mr. Murray advised people to “put your lights on sensors” as they are likely to “give you an advance warning” if they flash, unlike lights left on timers.
Community groups
While noting the popularity of community ‘WhatsApp’ groups, Mr. Murray said that many groups are intrusive as they create “the wrong environment” about community safety.
Instead, he suggested a new Security Institute of Ireland initiative called “Crime Prevention through Community Involvement,” with An Garda Síochána.
Through this initiative, residents would walk down their streets greeting people as they walk by. This, Mr. Murray suggested, would disincentivise burglars as they had been recognised and could report incidents to Gardaí.
