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The east of the country had the highest number of reported trespassing incidents to date this year.
Some 372 incidents were reported in the Leinster region according to garda figures obtained by the Irish Farmers Journal through the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
Kildare had the highest number in Leinster, with 71 incidents, followed by the Laois-Offaly area with 60 incidents.
The Munster region recorded the second highest number of incidents, with a total of 245 reported this year.
Limerick had the highest number of trespassing reports (77) in 2018 and the highest five-year figure of reported trespassing incidents in the country.
West
The west of the country recorded 153 incidents of trespassing, while Ulster counties recorded just 59 incidents.
Illegal hare coursing has been reported as a major problem by farmers recently, with many saying that they had felt intimidated by groups of men with dogs.
Nenagh Garda Sergeant Declan O’Carroll has urged all farmers to report thefts and trespassing incidents and added that anyone entering property without permission with the intent to commit a crime is guilty of an offence.
“Farmers might not think something is worth reporting but I’d encourage farmers to report all forms of crime,” O’Carroll told the Irish Farmers Journal.
“We can carry out check points late at night if we know crime is going on and target rural crime hotspots.”
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