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Policy Information

How we tackle crime

< Justice - What we do < How we tackle crime

The functional areas within the Criminal Justice Pillar work together towards the Department’s vision to work for a safe, fair and inclusive Ireland:

  • Building a safer Ireland by reducing and preventing crime,
  • Continually working to enhance national security and transform and strengthen An Garda Síochána
  • Protecting the public, upholding human rights and procedural fairness, and maintaining public safety, confidence and trust.
  • Developing initiatives to promote community safety and to reduce the opportunity for crime throughout the country
  • Driving community participation in a new approach to make communities safer, and work across government and with State agencies to support this goal
  • Diverting young people away from crime and anti-social behaviour

Information on policy in relation to the criminal use made of the internet and information technology generally, and the range of different cyber initiatives at national and international level

This unit has overall responsibility for co-ordinating anti-trafficking policies in Ireland

Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence (DSGBV)

Information on policies to tackle the problem of drug misuse in a coordinated and integrated way

Ireland has developed a multi-agency approach to road safety through the involvement of a number of agencies working in partnership

White Collar Crime


Neighbourhood watch, Community crime prevention

Information on crime prevention initiatives in Ireland


Gardai and policing

Any EU country may use the European arrest warrant to seek the return of a person who is wanted in that country in relation to a crime

Countries outside the European Union may make a request through diplomatic channels for extradition to seek the return of a person who is wanted in one of those countries in relation to a crime

The mission of Forensic Science Ireland is to use robust science in the investigation of crime and produce balanced expert reports to support justice

State Pathologist

This unit monitors compliance with anti-money laundering legislation

Mutual assistance consists of a variety of mechanisms whereby assistance in relation to criminal investigations or proceedings may be sought by one state from another

Tribunals of Inquiry are established by resolution of the Houses of the Oireachtas to enquire into definite matters of urgent public importance


A multi-agency strategy to strengthen and improve how the various elements of the Criminal Justice Sector work together.

The White Paper on Crime set out the overall policy framework for strategies to combat and prevent crime contained in a National Anti-Crime Strategy

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) took over responsibility for the publication of crime statistics from An Garda Síochána in 2005