Four out of five thefts, frauds, robberies and deception offences solved last year were carried out by, or involved, someone with an existing criminal record.
Figures released this morning by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) also reveal that more than 80% of drug offences and public order incidents were connected to repeat offenders, reports RTE.
One in five offenders committed another crime within just a month.
Nearly two thirds of all solved offences last year involved people with previous convictions, marking a rise compared with 2023, reports RTE.
The data outlines the extent to which solved crimes are linked to individuals who already have, or are suspected of having, a criminal past.
It shows that a large majority of these incidents are carried out by persistent offenders or those tied to earlier crimes, and that their offending levels continue to increase each year, reports RTE.
Theft, fraud, robbery and deception remained the most frequent offences among repeat criminals last year, making up 84% of cases.
Nine in ten people caught for burglary or trespassing were connected to an earlier offence, reports RTE.
Overall, 83% of public order incidents and 80% of drug-related offences were associated with a repeat offender, while 61% of all solved crimes involved someone with a previous record — up from 57% in 2023.
Even the lowest recorded rate, 56% in 2021, still highlights that over half of all solved crimes involved habitual offenders, reports RTE.
One in five of these crimes was carried out by someone who had been linked to a different offence less than a month beforehand. A further 18% re-offended within a year.
Dublin north central recorded the highest repeat offending rate at 78%, while Tipperary had the lowest at 44%, reports RTE.
Altogether, 39% of solved cases were committed by first-time offenders.
The figures exclude penalty point notices issued for traffic violations, reports RTE.
The CSO said the data represents a new way of estimating re-offending levels, differing from prison and probation reports as it is based on Garda records connected to individuals with a history of offending.
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