STATISTICS RELEASED through the Central Statistic Office have revealed that Wexford suffers from the highest rate of burglaries, with an average of 256 incidents per every 100,000 of population during the first six months of this year.

The Wexford figure is more than eight times the rate in the lowest-ranked county, Monaghan.

The statistics placed Wexford ahead of Dublin, Kildare, Louth, Wicklow and Laois, but highlight one important factor – that of the role of the country’s national road network as an easy getaway option.

Recently, a new motorway patrol unit was announced, which will use high-powered vehicles to target criminal gangs suspected of using the road network to target small communities.

Breaking the figures down further, they reveal that in the district of Courtown Harbour, an average of 477 per 100,000 population occurred between January and June of 2015.

Enniscorthy suffered a rate of 399 per 100,000 population while Duncannon was the next highest with a rate of 388 and Campile had a rate of 365 per 100,000 population.

Ferns was the next highest with a rate of 284 burglaries per 100,000 population and the Wexford town and environs district suffered the same rate of burglaries and related incidents.

New Ross had a rate of 271 burglaries and incidents per 100,000 population.

A total of 563 Garda sub-districts were analysed based on crime figures recorded by the Gardai and provided to the CSO.

In a separate set of figures, public order offences were at the lower end of the scale with 107 incidents per every 100,000 population.