Rural people in fear of roaming gangs

RURAL people are living in fear of being attacked in their own homes by gangs of roaming criminals, according to the national council of a leading farm body.

The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) has called for additional rural policing to tackle the threat of assault and has requested a meeting with Justice Minister Michael McDowell. The association has also written to Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy seeking a meeting to discuss the establishment of special Garda Rural Mobile Units to confront these roaming gangs.

While praising the work of gardaí in rural divisions, ICMSA president Pat O’Rourke said more needed to be done.

At the association’s recent national council meeting, the fear of attack expressed by those living in remote communities reached unprecedented levels. The Government had an obligation to take decisive action by providing the resources needed, Mr O’Rourke said.

“Rural Ireland has full confidence in the gardaí to resolve the problem if they are given the necessary resources to carry out this important task,” he said.

Mr O’Rourke said specific resources should be dedicated to tracking down and bringing to justice criminals who appeared to be roaming the country without check or hindrance. “The message should be made clear to all these people that society has had enough of their criminality and terror.

“The criminals concerned are very mobile, and the gardaí should be equipped to deal effectively with the special threat this mobility presents.

“Our association is now convinced that the time has come for dedicated Garda Rural Mobile Units, where the emphasis will be on a high-powered and speedy response to arrest these individuals and bring them before the courts,” he said.

Mr O’Rourke said only a firm commitment to action on the part of the Government can restore the confidence of elderly farmers and rural dwellers to feel safe in their homes.

Rural communities also suffer widespread ill-health and low quality of life, a new study has revealed.

Carried out by UCD and NUI Galway, 24% of those surveyed reported poor self-rated health while 22% said they had low quality of life. Half perceived little opportunity for change, which was also found to be linked to ill-health.

Low financial security and dissatisfaction with work were associated with poor health and quality of life, the study found.

Men with low standards of education were most likely to report poor health.

In Ireland, 42% of the population live in rural areas, the authors state.

However, traditional rural communities enjoy better family and social networks.