New initiative aims to reduce attacks on farmers and theft of farm machinery

Diarmuid Cronin of Muintir na Tire said: 'It’s not all paradise down in the countryside.'

It is believed thefts of farm equipment now amount to millions of euro per year. File picture: Andy Gibson

A new multi-agency initiative planned for the coming months around the country is aimed at reducing attacks on farmers and the growing theft of valuable farm equipment.

Muintir na Tire is teaming up with gardaí and the Department of Agriculture to provide farm safety walks in all counties of the country which will offer free expert security advice. The pilot walk was recently held for local farmers at a farm near Ballymacelligott, in Co Kerry.

Diarmuid Cronin of Muintir na Tire said community alert meetings “have frequent occasion to discuss criminality effecting local farms, illegal slaughter of wildlife and sheep, as well as the theft of livestock, theft of equipment, tools, electric fencing etc. The list is long.” 

It is believed thefts of such equipment now amount to millions of euro per year.

“More devastating are the occasions where members of farm families are threatened and intimidated, serious assaults occur from time to time. It’s not all paradise down in the countryside,” Mr Cronin, a community alert development officer, said.

He said minister Michael Healy-Rea’s remit in the Department of Agriculture includes consideration of these ongoing problems, so when Muintir na Tire proposed a practical effort to tackle farm security it was welcomed and supported by the department.

“Community Alert are longstanding partners, 40 years, with the gardaí whose crime prevention officers are in constant contact with Muintir na Tire. Sergeant Michael Quirke the crime prevention officer in Co Kerry quickly realised the merit of the project as did Teagasc advisor John Ryan who then arranged on-farm discussion of farm security,” Mr Cronin said.

Mr Healy-Rae attended the Co Kerry pilot walk focused on recent farm crime trends and had a question and answer session.

Those attending were then shown the state-of-the-art laser branding equipment which has been presented to Muintir na Tire by Irish security company Synergy Security.

“About 50 valuable items were quickly branded. These included power tools, batteries, chainsaws, quad bikes, mobile phones, satellite navigation systems and a farm trailer,” Mr Cronin said.

The speed and efficiency of the process impressed everyone attending and IFA officers discussed arranging more events not just for branding but also to relay the message that recording serial numbers needs to become an elementary “no brainer".