Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I want to raise the important issue of the increase in crime in County Kerry. Crime rates in the county have increased at a significant rate in recent weeks. On the weekend of 25 February last, there were six home invasions in the Muckross, Loughguittane and Glenflesk areas of County Kerry. These crimes were committed by thieves who made their way on a back road to the N22 route between Killarney and Cork. Thousands of euro and significant amounts of jewellery were stolen. These thieves even robbed all-Ireland medals from a house. In another case, an elderly man in Ardfert was tied up for hours while a gang of thugs raided his house and took a substantial sum of money. I will give one more example. A sum of €7,000 was recently netted by thieves who robbed crèches and a residential home in the Tralee area. The Minister for Justice and Equality has been telling people that the crime rate in this country is going down. I assure the House that crime has never been as high in County Kerry as it is now. I have given a number of examples. Elderly people in County Kerry and other parts of rural Ireland are terrified in their homes because of the increase in crime.

People can talk about figures all they like. We hear a lot about Operation Thor, but I believe all it is doing is taking these thugs off this country's network of main roads and motorways and onto the back roads of places like County Kerry. Our gardaí are under tremendous pressure when it comes to crime. They are doing their level best with the resources they have, but they are up against it as they contend with sophisticated thieves, blackguards and cowardly thugs. As I have said, the crime rate is very high in County Kerry at the moment. A lot of crime is going unreported. This is contributing to the fall in the figures. People are just not reporting some crimes. I did a quick and simple survey one time. I rang seven people I knew who had crimes perpetrated against them to ask them whether they had reported those crimes. Just three of them had done so. Their attitude was that reporting crime makes no difference. When people find that oil has been taken from their tanks, or that their garages have been broken into and their tools, chainsaws or personal bits and pieces taken, in many cases they decide not to bother reporting it because they believe there is nothing to be gained from doing so. I believe all crime should be reported because that is the only way people will realise the seriousness of the situation.

This Government, like its predecessor, has failed to protect our citizens in rural Ireland from the thugs who are breaking into homes to take people's hard-earned money. We have all heard of cases in which lovely elderly people around the country have been tied up in their homes. Breaking into the home of an elderly person to frighten, intimidate and steal from him or her is probably the most outrageous act that any person could do. Elderly people should be respected, cared for and minded, but instead we have the scum of the earth going around. I hope it might go out from here that these thugs are bad, dirty and horrible cowards. That is all they are. They would not be man enough to face another man who would be able to take them on. I feel very strongly about those who beat up elderly people. The rank-and-file members of An Garda Síochána who are dealing with these thugs are doing their level best with the resources they have. I commend the gardaí up and down the length and breadth of Ireland on the work they are trying to do. We will take these cowards on. I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Stanton, and his Government colleagues to provide more resources so that they can be taken on.

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