Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I support the motion. My constituency of Sligo-Leitrim is rural and sparsely populated. Many people living in rural areas, particularly in isolated farmhouses, are fearful of strangers arriving. This is a widespread phenomenon. It is important to note, however, that rural areas are generally safe places to live. The House should not send out a message that this is solely a bad news story. When incidents occur, they cause widespread fear because a robbery or burglary of a person in a rural parish affects the entire parish and even surrounding parishes because everyone feels vulnerable. Great efforts are made to bring the community together to do something about rural crime. Text alert schemes are up and running in many rural communities, including my local community. This is a response from people who, unfortunately, feel let down because Garda resources are not adequate to provide the type of monitoring and protection they need.

Growing up in the 1980s, I drove an old banger of a car. If I had a bald tyre, I used to be afraid of meeting a garda stopping cars at a crossroads. I could travel the length and breadth of the country today and seldom meet a garda stopping cars at a crossroads. If we still had gardaí performing this role, many of the criminals who travel into rural areas would realise someone was likely to be watching and they would be stopped. This issue needs to be rectified immediately.

The Minister was not especially forthcoming when I raised another issue with him previously. My house was robbed twice and both times the thieves were after cash and jewellery. They broke a window during the day, entered the house, rooted through drawers and took whatever they could. The Garda told me that the thieves bring gold jewellery to cash for gold shops which pay cash instantly. It is scandalous that these shops are not regulated. Burglars do not steal gold rings and watches to wear them but to trade them for cash. Cash for gold shops should be regulated, including the goods they buy. It would not be difficult to find a means of doing this. This is a genuine suggestion to take a step that would reassure people that the Government was taking action. Moreover, it would not cost anything.

Community policing should be at the forefront of tackling rural crime. I commend gardaí, the foot soldiers who we know and meet daily, because they do most of the work when they are left to it. Unfortunately, the vast majority of gardaí are tied up in barracks doing paperwork, filling forms and ticking boxes when they should be out doing their work. More community policing is needed and greater emphasis must be placed on ensuring we protect rural Ireland.

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