Waterford fifth highest in country for burglary offences
Waterford was fifth highest for burglary offences before national district courts. Stock image
Fifty-four people were before the courts for burglary in Waterford in the first nine months of 2025, with the county ranking fifth highest nationally in terms of the number of such offences going before the district courts.
That's according to figures released from the Irish Court Service to Ireland South MEP and former barrister, Cynthia Ní Mhurchú.
Of those cases, 44 were processed at Waterford District Court offices and a further 10 were sent forward for trial to the circuit court, for burglary offences in Waterford.
Waterford was the fifth highest in a table of burglary offence figures from district court offices from all across Ireland which showed that 1,187 people nationally were before the district courts for burglary offences, throughout the country, in the first nine months of 2025.
A further 347 people were sent forward for trial in the circuit court for such offences between January and September, last year.
The figures point to a relatively small group of repeat offenders who are responsible for a disproportionate share of burglary offences.
In the first nine months of 2025, 1,771 burglary cases went before the District Court, involving 1,187 individuals - which highlighted a high level of repeat or multiple offending. A similar pattern emerged in the Circuit Court, where 729 burglary cases were tried over the same period, committed by 529 offenders.
Perhaps, unsurprisingly, Dublin topped the table when it came to burglary figures with 622 people there going before the district and circuit courts for burglary in the same period of last year.
Dublin was followed closely by Cork and Limerick.
In addition to Waterford, Clonmel, Wexford, Naas, Mullingar, Tralee and Bray also made the top 10 with regard to the number of people before the local courts for burglary.
Castlebar, Carrick-on-Shannon and Ballina were some of the areas that recorded the lowest number of people before local courts for burglary.
In the wake of receiving the figures Ms Ní Mhurchú reiterated that Gardaí call on people to stop posting holiday pictures on social media - which highlights the fact they are not at home. She also asked the Gardaí to encourage people to look out for any suspicious vehicles or activity on their neighbours' property - in particular in very rural parts of the country during the dark winter months, which is a peak time for burglary offences to take place.
However, she also called for a range of measures to tackle burglary including ending the practice of letting burglars out on temporary release from prison.
According to the figures from the Irish Prison Service, 38 burglars were on temporary release as of June 23, 2025.
Ms Ní Mhurchú also called for more targeted community supports to protect communities against burglary, including a doubling of funding under the Community Safety Fund, more funding for community CCTV and consideration to be given to expanding grant aid schemes for security alarms to be installed in the homes of older people, in particular those who are living alone in rural Ireland.
The Seniors Alert Scheme provides grant support for the supply of personal alarm equipment but not house alarms. The Community Safety Fund allows for the proceeds of crime, seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) and An Garda Síochána, to be directed back into communities, in order to fund innovative local projects aimed at building stronger, safer communities.
According to Ms Ní Mhurchú, community leaders who she interacts with don’t know about the fund.
The €4 million funding works within communities to provide support for things like diversion programmes for repeat and young offenders, drug awareness programmes and restorative justice initiatives and there is also a stream of funding for community CCTV projects and community alert support programmes.
She also asked the Department of Justice to inform community groups of the 2026 funding allocation, consider doubling it and advise politicians and community leaders when the funding call opens for applications.
