The Dáil heard today that rural communities are increasingly being targeted by criminal gangs, with one TD warning that a lack of Garda presence is leaving them vulnerable.
This comes despite the Government’s commitments to increase Garda recruitment.
Independent Ireland TD Richard O’Donoghue said he himself had been targeted by thieves last week, amid a spare of burglaries in his area.
The TD said there had been 16 robberies in two days in the parishes surrounding him in Kilmallock, Co Limerick, as he warned tthat ural IIreland is being left exposed.
Deputy O’Donoghue said he was told by An Garda Síochána that there are “not enough gardaí” to put into the new Garda station in Newcastle West, leaving rural residents vulnerable.
“The Government’s proposal is to get to 15,000 gardaí. To be honest, I think we need 15,000 more. We have a population now hitting 6 million and criminal levels are at an all-time high,” said O’Donoghue.
“In the parishes surrounding me, there were 16 robberies in two days and in the parishes adjoining them, 12 robberies were recorded in one place and 14 in another place, all of them done by criminal gangs.”
“I was targeted last Friday when the keys of one vehicle, which were locked into a solid box, were taken, equipment worth €1,000 belonging to a carpenter was stolen and the lock was pulled off another van. We have the criminals, members of a well-known criminal gang, on CCTV, coming in and doing their work. They were gone within eight minutes.”
“They know that it’s easy pickings,” added the Limerick TD.
“We deserve in rural Ireland, in rural Limerick, the same protection as people do in the cities.
“From one end of my constituency to the other is almost an hour and 40 minutes. That’s how far it is.”
The Deputy said that Gardaí need cameras with registration recognition technology in places where there are criminal gangs.
He further said that if cars belong to criminal gangs are in an area, the Garda would then be notified automatically.
“That can be done,” said O’Donoghue. “We have had cameras turned off in Kilmallock and Croom for data protection reasons. People who are doing nothing wrong should not be worried about a camera that is there to protect good people against criminals.”
The TD also said it was the case that “repeat criminals are being brought to court multiple times and let off.”
“There is no place to put them or hold them, so what does the Government do? It lets them back out and they do the same thing over and over again. Garda resources are being used to build a case against them and by the time the Garda builds a case, they are only given a slap on the wrist.
“It is a case of “Out you go to do it again” and within a week, they are in with gardaí again. It is a waste of resources,” he added.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin responded by asserting that the recruitment of gardaí in the past two years had been “very consistent.”
He further claimed there was “healthy interest” in joining An Garda Síochána.
“With this recruitment, we will be in a position to staff the station,” added Mr Martin.
“The Commissioner has been progressively allocating additional gardaí, first to cities like Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford and so on, and then to others. We have to get them out to rural Ireland, and the Minister for justice is very conscious of that.”
“On criminal gangs, I regret what has happened in the Deputy’s own situation, which he has articulated to the House, as well as the other robberies he referenced. They will be convicted and will not be left out again if they are well-known criminal gangs.”
“All the criminal gangs know to target rural areas. All the Garda presence, as the Taoiseach just mentioned, is being put into Dublin city, Cork city and Limerick city,” O’Donoghue responded.
“We need Garda resources because criminals now know it is easy pickings. I welcome the Garda resources, the technology and the extra recruitment of gardaí, but the Government needs to stop putting all the gardaí into the cities.”