Mr. Seamus Sherlock:

The quick answer is that in the farming community we do not believe that they actually care about the harm they are doing. In some instances, a gang of criminals will drive onto a farm in a van, approach the farmer and tell him to get out of the way while they are taking whatever they want. That sort of behaviour is unthinkable. These are bully boys - shouting and roaring. We are talking about vulnerable people. The criminals always seem to know where to go, to farmers who are getting on a bit in age or living alone or living with, for example, elderly sisters. They are vulnerable people who have no hope of defending themselves. The gangs are coming in and raping the place. People know that they can no longer leave the gate open but we are now at the stage in rural Ireland where farmers have to lock up everything if they have to go down to their fields to cut a bit of hay or check their cattle. I know farmers who have come up out of their fields to find guys siphoning the diesel out of their tanks. They say, "Grandad, stay out of the way; we will be another five minutes". Those farmers will never sleep soundly again. I cannot imagine the mental effect that must have on people who are getting on in age. They are living in beautiful locations in rural Ireland but they are completely alone. I can see the fear in their eyes.

To put is simply, we would hold a lot of meetings in rural Ireland and rural crime would not be on the agenda at all but it always comes up. Someone will put up his or her hand and ask what can be done about the crime. It always ends up on the agenda. I have rarely attended a meeting in rural Ireland in the past 18 months at which rural crime has not been discussed. It is being discussed because it is so widespread, although people might not want to acknowledge that. To be honest, it is not all about stealing either. Illegal dumping is also a huge problem and that is a crime as far as we are concerned. Farmers will ring us and tell us that eight or ten black bags have been chucked over the hedge, that the cattle have opened them up and the rubbish is blowing all over the fields. That can do damage to livestock and to machinery. It also involves trespass.

In terms of trespass, there are also fellows coming in at night, lamping foxes or chasing hares with hounds. They are leaving gates open and letting stock out onto the roads, which is a huge problem. They are damaging property. We have all heard of the high-profile case in north Dublin where a farmer went out and asked a group of people to leave and he was allegedly knocked out for his sins. We know of a lot of guys who see the lamps going around their fields at night but they are afraid to go out because they are living alone and they do not know who they are facing. As far as we are concerned, that is every bit as much a crime as breaking into a house. Gardaí might say, "That's only trespass" but it is a lot more to the farmer. He could have ewes in lamb or cows in calf and anyone who knows farming knows that lights at night can terrify stock. Cattle could run through barbed wire fences and get cut up. God forbid, if gates are opened up, cattle could go out onto a main road and kill someone. These are the issues facing already struggling and hardship stricken farmers in rural Ireland. These are the calls I am getting on a weekly basis.