An IFA meeting on rural crime touched a raw nerve in north Tipperary on Monday night, where over 100 people turned up at the Abbey Court Hotel to hear garda advice on how to tackle crime in the countryside.

Farmers said they felt fearful when confronted by men walking dogs across their land and expressed concerns that gardaí were powerless to help the situation.

Gardaí at the event stated that “intent to commit a crime” would have to be proven before trespassing could be deemed as illegal.

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The meeting was also told that hare coursing might be illegal but that hunting rabbits was not, and it was difficult to prove that a person with a dog was hunting hare and not rabbit.

The frustration of farmers was palpable, with many stating that the law wasn’t strong enough to protect the farm community.

The most recent figures from the CSO show that reported crime in rural regions has remained static, but the chief crime prevention officer in Tipperary, Sergeant Tom O’Dwyer, said up to four trailers had been reported stolen in one week in Tipperary.

He encouraged farmers to report crime so gardaí could send patrols to “crime hotspots”.

He also encouraged farmers to mark their equipment or record serial numbers of quads and tractors.

Listen to "Farmers should not be victims" on Spreaker.

Gardaí explained that despite €3m worth of funding being set aside by the Department of Justice, there was an issue with legislation where the CCTV would have to be manned by a local authority and not gardaí.

This week, the new Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said that reopening rural garda stations that were closed during the recession is a low priority.

“We’re all as annoyed as hell in relation to how little is being done and annoyed that all we’re hearing is that the gardaí have their hands tied,” north Tipperary IFA chair Imelda Walsh said.