Laois just outside top ten for burglary cases before the courts
Portlaoise Courthouse. File image
LAOIS is just outside the top ten nationally for the number of burglary cases brought before the courts.
Portlaoise ranks 11th out of 32 court offices nationwide, in terms of the number of people appearing on burglary charges in the first nine months of 2025.
A total of 37 people came before courts in Portlaoise on burglary charges between January and September last year, according to latest figures from the Irish Courts Service (ICS).
Portlaoise District Court dealt with 28 burglary cases while a further nine were heard at Portlaoise Circuit Court, according to ICS data provided to Ireland South MEP and former barrister Cynthia Ní Mhurchú.
The Portlaoise courts deal with burglaries from all over the county with more serious cases heard at circuit court level, which can impose higher penalties.
The official figures put Portlaoise above neighbouring court office areas in Carlow (32), Kilkenny (30) and Tullamore (15) but below Mullingar (46).
Nationally, 1,187 people came before district courts across Ireland for 1,771 cases of burglary between January and September 2025. A further 347 people were sent forward for trial in the circuit court for burglary offences during this period.
The figures point to a relatively small group of repeat offenders that are responsible for a disproportionate share of burglary offences. In the circuit court, 529 offenders were tried for 729 burglary cases.
Ms Ní Mhurchú has called for an end to the practice of letting burglars out on temporary release from prison. Thirty-eight burglars were on temporary release as of 23 June 2025, according to figures provided by the Irish Prison Service.
The MEP has also called for more targeted community supports, including a doubling of funding under the Community Safety Fund, more funding for community CCTV and consideration to be given to expanding the Seniors’ Alert Scheme to include grants for house alarms.
According to Ms Ní Mhurchú, community leaders she has met don’t know about the Community Safety Fund, which redistributes proceeds of crime seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) into An Garda Síochána initiatives such as youth diversion, drug awareness and restorative justice.
The MEP asked the Department of Justice to inform community groups of the €4m funding allocation for 2026, consider doubling it and advise politicians and community leaders when the funding call opens for applications.
Meanwhile, gardaí have urged people to stop posting holiday pictures on social media, which advertises that they are not at home. Neighbours should also keep an eye out for suspicious vehicles or activity nearby, especially in very rural areas during the dark winter months, which are a peak time for burglaries.
