A survey carried out by Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) of 1,333 farmers, found that 55% had been victims of theft.

The research report was carried out by Dr Nicola Hughes and Dr Matt Bowden, criminologists at the School of Social Sciences, Law and Education at TU Dublin.

While most farmers (71%) reported thefts to An Garda Síochána, a proportion of those participating in the survey did not.

Almost 30% of participants did not report their experience of theft to An Garda Síochána, compared with 19% in national victim surveys.

In the TU Dublin survey, the primary reasons given for not reporting were based on a belief that the incident was not serious enough, that the police would do nothing about it and that there was insufficient evidence to warrant police action.

Speaking about the survey, which was the result of a collaboration between the University and the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), researcher Dr Matt Bowden said: "While there has been much attention to issues of rural crime in recent years, we have very little systematic data. This research highlights the Irish farming community's experience of crime and victimisation, and their perceptions of crime prevention, and helps us to better understand crimes committed against farms and the measures farmers take to prevent their victimisation."

Among the main findings, the research highlights that:

  • Farmers take routine and active crime prevention measures on their farms.
  • 60% of participants believe that An Garda Síochána should have a dedicated unit to deal with farm thefts and rural crime.
  • Farmers are fearful of being burgled, but only one-third have an alarm on their dwelling.
  • The report's co-author Dr Nicola Hughes said: "Many victims of crime do not report it. If the true extent of crime and victimisation against the farming community is to be understood, then all victims should be encouraged to report the incident to An Garda Síochána".

    Commenting on the report’s findings, IFA deputy president Brian Rushe said that the underreporting of crime to An Garda Síochána is concerning.

    "The views expressed in the report that An Garda Síochána should have a dedicated unit specifically to deal with rural and farming crimes is supported by IFA.

    "Such units or teams in other similar jurisdictions have proved to be a game-changer and have contributed significantly to reducing criminal activity”, he said.