Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly has said there is no simple solution that will fix the problem of crime in rural Ireland. Mr Kelly, who yesterday announced that €50,000 was being provided towards a pilot CCTV initiative to help monitor rural crime, said the issue was on the minds of many in the countryside.
Speaking at the National Ploughing Championships yesterday, Mr Kelly said much was being done to tackle rural crime, including the updating of IT systems used by An Garda Síochána.
“Social media and mobile phones facilitate people to do crime in a different way, and gardaí need to be empowered to react accordingly,” he said.
The recent death in Co Limerick of John O’Donoghue (62), who suffered a heart attack after finding intruders in his home in Doon, sparked a fresh debate about crime in isolated areas, with many people saying they felt vulnerable following the closure of rural Garda stations.
Cameras at motorway exits
Mr Kelly said the new CCTV project, being tested in Dunmore in Co Laois, involved about 20 cameras being placed on motorway exits and entry points to help catch crime gangs on their way to target rural communities.
“It will provide real-time information on gangs in high-powered vehicles who do crime on vulnerable people in rural and isolated areas,” he said.
Mr Kelly said it was envisaged the initiative would be rolled out in two more locations, with a view to expanding it to other towns and villages in the future.
The issue was at the forefront of the concerns of many people from rural communities attending the National Ploughing Championships.
Paddy Joyce, a farmer from north Co Kilkenny, said there had definitely been an increase recently in crime in rural areas.
“It’s been very bad the last three or four years. I’ve two neighbours that were robbed in the last five weeks,” he said. “It would be an awful pity if these guys [criminals] did ruin rural life, making people move out of their homes.”
Robberies and break-ins
Marion Horan, who farms with her husband in Golden, Co Tipperary, said some areas were hit harder than others by robberies and break-ins. She said some parts of the country were “black spots”.
“My brother is from Co Laois and he’s been robbed a few times. Several people around him have been robbed many times, too, maybe because it’s close to the motorway,” she said.
Ms Horan said extra surveillance was a good idea but rural communities ultimately needed a stronger Garda presence.
“If there was more of a Garda presence around, it would make a difference. There isn’t enough of them in any of the towns or villages,” she said.
Leitrim farmer Oliver McDonald said crime was an issue that was constantly on the minds of the rural community. He said he thought the problem was getting worse because of the lack of a constant Garda presence in the area.
“They would know the people in the area, the families, different connections, and could sort things out before they got worse,” he said. “That doesn’t happen now. It’s not the guards’ fault. But we need the old-style guard back, who knew every family in the area.”
