Surprising data on burglary offences in Mayo 

The number of burglary offences coming before the courts in Mayo is among the lowest in the country.

There were 1,187 people before the district courts across Ireland for burglary offences in the first nine months of 2025, while a further 347 people were sent forward for trial in the circuit court, according to figures from the Irish Courts Service, which were provided to Ireland South MEP and former barrister Cynthia Ní Mhurchú.

The figures point to a relatively small group of repeat offenders that are responsible for a disproportionate share of burglary offences. In the first nine months of 2025, 1,771 burglary cases came before the district courts involving just 1,187 individuals, highlighting a high level of repeat or multiple offending. A similar pattern emerged in the circuit courts where 729 burglary cases were tried over the same period, committed by just 529 offenders.

In Mayo, the district courts of Castlebar and Ballina were among the lowest in terms of people before them for burglary crimes. Ms Ní Mhurchú posited that this points to either low burglary rates or low Garda detection rates.

There were just two burglary cases heard at Castlebar District Court during the first nine months of last year and three in Ballina District Court. The county’s circuit court saw just one burglary matter before it during the same time period.

Dublin tops the table when it comes to burglary figures with 622 people coming before the district and circuit courts there for burglary in the first nine months of last year. Cork and Limerick are in second and third places respectively.

Elsewhere in the West, Galway city courts had 29 burglary cases and there six in Loughrea. The courts in Roscommon easily surpassed the Mayo figures with 15, while 11 burglary cases were heard in Sligo and two in Leitrim.

Ms Ní Mhurchú has reiterated Garda calls on people to stop posting holiday pictures on social media, which advertise that they are not at home and also to look out for any suspicious vehicles or activity on their neighbour's property - in particular in very rural parts of the country during the dark winter months, a peak time for the offence of burglary. She has called for a range of measure to tackle burglary offences, including an end to the practice of letting burglars out on temporary release from our prisons. Some 38 burglars were on temporary release as of the June 23, 2025, according to figures provided by the Irish Prison Service.

The Fianna Fáil MEP is also seeking more targeted supports to protect communities across Ireland against burglary, including a doubling of funding under the Community Safety Fund, additional 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.