457 crimes committed by people on bail in Leitrim and Sligo
Justice Minister and local leaders say bail system failing communities
New figures reveal that 457 crimes were committed in Leitrim and Sligo last year by individuals who were out on bail at the time of the offence.
The data, provided by the Department of Justice and sourced from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), forms part of a national total of 40,348 bail-related crimes recorded in 2024.
The regional breakdown shows that the wider Shannonside Garda Division recorded 1,085 offences committed by people on bail last year, including 628 incidents in Roscommon, Longford and Mayo.
Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan has described the figures as “totally unacceptable,” stating that reoffending while on bail represents a direct breach of trust with the courts.
“When someone is granted bail, they’re making a legal commitment not to commit further offences. Violating that is a serious matter and erodes public confidence in the justice system,” he said.
According to a Garda press statement in Sligo/Leitrim, 84 such incidents have already been recorded in the first quarter of 2025. The most common offences committed by individuals while on bail in 2024 were theft from shops, which accounted for 20 percent of incidents, followed by breach of bail conditions at 14 percent. Public order offences made up 13 percent of the total, with drunkenness-related offences at 7 percent and simple drug possession accounting for 5 percent.