Bring back corporal punishment to tackle gangs says Clare mayor

A county mayor on the western seaboard has called for corporal punishment to be introduced as a likely deterrent to criminal gangs targeting vulnerable rural dwellers.

Clare’s Jim Breen also claimed many of the thugs who could easily “leave victims for dead” are treated like royalty in the present justice system.

His comments came as Clare County Council members unanimously backed a motion calling for the Department of Justice to provide grant assistance to rural families seeking to buy home burglar alarms.