Donegal Town suffers significant increases in public order and theft offences

Data released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows that public order offences in Donegal Town have risen by 56% from 2023 to 2025. 

The rise of public order offences in Donegal Town during 2023 to 2025 coincides with a similar decline of public order offences in Bundoran during the same time period. 

Theft offences in Donegal Town were another category that rose significantly from 2023 to 2025, with the number of offences more than doubling. 

Regarding public order offences, the number of offences has increased from 59 in 2023 to 64 in 2024 and 92 offences in 2025. In Bundoran, the number of offences decreased from 82 in 2023 to 58 in 2024 and 30 in 2025, a drop of 63.4%. 

Across the whole Donegal Municipal District, which includes Garda Stations in Ballintra, Ballyshannon, Mountcharles, Killybegs, and Pettigo, public order offences rose by 4.2% from 2024 to 2025. 

Statistics also show that theft offences have become a growing issue within the Donegal MD, increasing by 42.7% from 2024 to 2025. In 2024, there were 89 theft offences across the municipal district, compared to 127 in 2025.

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Donegal Town saw the most dramatic increase in theft offences in the municipal district, increasing from 26 offences respectively in both 2023 and 2024, to 54 offences in 2025. 

Elsewhere, the majority of other crime categories saw incidences fall in 2025 compared to previous years.

Drug offences within the Donegal MD fell by over 50% from 2023 to 2025, with 67 recorded offences in 2023, compared to 53 in 2024, and 33 in 2025. 

Furthermore, from 2024 to 2025 in the Donegal MD, burglary offences reduced by nearly a third, road traffic offences lowered 29.1%, dangerous or negligent acts fell by 30.8% and attempts or threats to murder, assaults, harassments and related offences decreased by 15.4%.