It has been claimed that the #MeToo movement could be behind a rise in the number of sex crimes being reported.
The latest figures from the Central Statistics Office show there has been a 10% rise in the last year, with 272 more allegations of a sexual offence reported in the year ending June 2018.
There were also rises in serious assaults, robberies and aggravated burglaries.
Labour Senator Ivana Bacik says the increase, particularly in rape offences, is very worrying.
Senator Bacik said: "We don't know for sure if that rise means there has been a rise in the actual carrying out of sexual offences in the last year or more victims are coming forward.
"There have been a lot of high-profile cases in the last year with the Me Too movement and, of course, with the Belfast rape trial which would have highlighted many victim's issues they might have thought to forget about for some time."
