Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I do not have many questions to ask but I thank the witnesses for coming in today. This is a huge problem in rural communities. Elderly people can be terrorised simply by a feeling that someone has committed crime in their area. That fear actually applies to everyone, not just the elderly. It is frightening, and I imagine that even the idea of someone coming onto a person's farm to steal things can be quite scary. I imagine there is a constant anxiety and fear that those responsible will return, that they will take more and that there will be violence. There is a lot involved in this. Fear in the community can be heightened because of these crimes.

Have violent crimes increased in the last few years? Have the witnesses see more violent crimes as well as robberies in that time?