Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 September 2025
478. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of reported crimes against pharmacies in each of the past three years; the breakdown, by type of offence that is, theft, burglary, assault and robbery; and the number of cases that resulted in prosecution and conviction. [50132/25]
View answerThis Government takes any risk to retailers and retail staff very seriously. I am acutely aware of the personal and economic impact that retail crime is having on businesses, shop workers, and communities. I recognise that shoplifting and organised retail crime pose a significant threat to the economic welfare of Irish retailers and that retail theft is not a victimless crime.
I have sought the requested information from the Garda authorities and I am advised that the table below sets out the reported crimes against pharmacies in each of the past 3 years.
Crimes against pharmacies* in the past 3 years
|
Incident type |
2023 |
2024 |
H1 2025 |
|
Theft from shop |
890 |
994 |
480 |
|
Burglary |
26 |
27 |
10 |
|
Robbery of an establishment / institution |
24 |
24 |
<10 |
*Please note: An incident of Assault occurring at this location type could not be reliably said to have been committed against the pharmacy/chemist or any employee so therefore is not included.
It should be noted that the Department does not record data relating to convictions, as this is a function of the courts, which are independent in exercising their functions under the Courts Service Act 1998 and the separation of powers in the Constitution.
The Courts Service does have a dedicated email address for the provision of information to members of the Houses of the Oireachtas: oireachtasenquiries@courts.ie. The Deputy should contact the Courts Service directly for the information sought.
The Programme for Government commits to publishing a Retail Crime Strategy with targeted actions to reduce retail crime and support affected businesses. Work has already commenced on preparing this Strategy. I met with and heard from the retail community earlier this year with regard to this.
My officials, together with officials in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, are considering their suggestions in the context of the development of the retail crime strategy. My Department has also undertaken some research into how other jurisdictions are tackling such matters so see if we can learn from best practice elsewhere. A coordinated approach across sectors will be required if strong, tangible actions are to be identified, implemented and achieved within the context of the Retail Crime Strategy.
