Aontú candidate says spike in crime is linked to falling Garda numbers
Aontú representative for Mayo Paul Lawless
A local Aontu representative has said that crime in Ireland has hit a ‘dangerous tipping point.’
Paul Lawless, an Aontú candidate in the Claremorris Municipal District for next year’s local elections said that crime figures are clearly moving in the wrong direction.
“We have been shocked to hear of the stabbing of young children in Dublin City Centre, and we recently learned of the criminal Dublin based gang using an AirBnb in Knock to carry out a spree of burglaries.”
“Whilst the details of both incidents are still emerging it is clear that all of the crime figures are moving in the wrong direction. Ireland is becoming a more violent and dangerous place.”
Mr Lawless said that rape and sexual assault crime has doubled in the last ten years and crimes rates for murder, theft, human trafficking, harassment, stalking and assault or obstruction of Garda is increasing too.
“In Mayo, we saw a 20% increase in burglaries, the highest spike recorded in the country (April 2022 - March 2023),” he said.
“It's quite clear that we have reached a dangerous tipping point in terms of crime and antisocial behaviour.”
He added there is no doubt that there is a correlation between the collapse in Garda numbers and a spike in violent crime.
Mr Lawless said that data released to his party by the Minister for Justice last week show that so far in 2023, just 237 Gardaí have been recruited compared to 605 in 2019. 434 Gardaí have retired, an increase on 2019’s figure of 333. In October 2023, 13 of the 25 members who exited the force resigned from the Gardaí.
“Shockingly, resignations were the majority cause of exit from the force last month. Gardaí are voting with their feet and leaving well before their retirement date,” said Mr Lawless.
“The spike in violent crime that is unfolding in towns and villages across the country has not happened by accident. Garda numbers are at their lowest in 5 years.”
“Rank and file garda numbers are at the lowest in 6 years. Indeed, Ireland now has one of the smallest per capita police forces in the whole of the EU.”
