Measures to tackle rural crime involving increased surveillance on Ireland’s motorway network are expected to be announced.
A spokesman at the Department of the Environment said the measures, which are to be rolled out as a pilot scheme, would likely involve the use of CCTV cameras.
The motorway network has “allowed thieves to get down and out into rural areas extremely quickly,” said Minister of State for Rural Economic Development Ann Phelan.
She said Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly would most likely be making an announcement on Wednesday. She said the plan would involve surveillance measures as opposed to Garda checks along the roads.
Speaking to The Irish Times last year, Garda inspector John Ferris said "one of the obvious downsides [of the network] is that if you're a criminal in Dublin, and you decide to travel to Galway, you can do so in a very short time".
Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald said this summer that Garda measures are in place “to target the use of motorways by criminal gangs and to disrupt and arrest those involved”.
Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan said on Tuesday people living in rural communities in Ireland should not feel as if they are “alone”.
The recent death in Co Limerick of John O’Donoghue (62), who suffered a heart attack after finding intruders in his home in Doon last month, sparked a fresh debate about the closure of rural garda staions.
Speaking at the National Ploughing Championships in Co Laois, Ms O’Sullivan said it was a “very tragic case” and extended sympathy to Mr O’Donoghue’s family and friends.
