IFA president calls on Justice Minister to 'wake up'
The Irish Farmers Association has today called on Justice Minister Alan Shatter to increase Garda presence in rural areas.
It comes as a new survey of more than 500 farmers nationwide shows that 54% of respondents are dissatisfied with Alan Shatter's efforts to protect rural communities.
Carried out by the IFA, the survey also shows 11% of farm families have been victims of rural crime and almost 37% feel less safe in their home in the past 12 months.
The findings seem to contradict of recent reports that rural crime is falling.
It also revealed that 43% of farmers felt that the presence of gardaí in their area had decreased in the last year.
IFA president John Bryan says the Minister for Justice needs to ensure that the level of crime is reduced and that the people living and working in rural areas feel safer.
"For any Minister to see that figure in a survey, he would want to wake up and be conscience that the people on the ground feel that a Government is elected to govern," he said.
"A Minister has responsibilities in his area, and when that number of people in rural Ireland are of the view that the Minister is not adequately doing his job, I think it requires a response."
