The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) is calling for the establishment of a dedicated ‘Rural Crime Unit’ within An Garda Síochána to deal with thefts of machinery and equipment from farms.
Alice Doyle, the IFA’s deputy president, has called on farmers, contractors and machinery owners to take urgent and immediate actions to protect their property, machinery, tools and equipment, especially GPS equipment.
“It appears that an organised criminal gang has once again set its sights on the farming sector and had targeted farms in Dublin and Wexford,” Doyle said.
In recent days, six GPS systems were stolen in Co. Wexford, and one was stolen in north Co. Dublin. The estimated value of the stolen equipment is in the region of €100,000.
Another incident over the weekend saw a man arrested at a north Co. Dublin farm. It is understood that he pleaded guilty to charges arising from the incident and has been remanded for sentencing.
Doyle said: “This is great result An Garda Síochána. We’re asking Gardaí to work with other agencies to see if these stolen items can be prevented from leaving the state for eastern Europe and beyond and returned to their owners.”
“It is very important that this cycle of theft of specialised equipment is stopped. The IFA is calling for the establishment of a dedicated Garda unit to tackle what has become an international business for organised crime gangs,” Doyle added.
The IFA deputy president said that the war in Ukraine, and subsequent trade embargos on Russia, has led to a criminal market for the supply of agricultural equipment.
Farmers in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have also experienced crimes of this nature, with criminal gangs targeting rural areas.
“Northern Ireland, Scotland, and several UK regions have dedicated rural crime teams solely focused on these crimes and the prevention of the same. They liaise with other agencies and police forces in a co-ordinated approach, sharing intelligence and best practice,” Doyle said.
She added: “Ireland needs the same. The Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris should establish such a unit immediately.”