The chairman of the ICMSA's rural development committee has called for a review of crime prevention in rural areas. Mr Dan McCarthy has written to the Minister for Justice, Ms Owen, and the Garda Commissioner, Mr Patrick Culligan, saying that elderly people in rural areas should not be left as "sitting ducks for the criminals".
It was unsatisfactory that restricted hours of opening should operate in Garda stations in many rural areas, he said. More resources were needed for the Community Alert Scheme and the Minister should consider free provision of the Telecom "medi alert" system to elderly people.