For many years, we have seen reports of people in rural Ireland living in absolute fear due to an upsurge in trespassing on farmland by roaming gangs and those who are indifferent to private property rights. Every year, public meetings are held by farming organisations and every year, farmers and community members say the powers at the disposal of An Garda Síochána and landowners alike are deeply insufficient to address the nature of the problem. An Garda Síochána and landowners need our help, collectively as TDs, Ministers and Senators. We need to ensure there are tougher laws and legislative change. When I talk about trespassing, I am not talking about people who accidentally enter a property or come into a field, accidentally trespass and politely leave without causing any damage or intimidation. I am not talking about those cases. I am talking about the worrying rise in deliberate and malicious cases of trespass incidents linked to illegal hunting such as lurching, gangs with dogs, physical threats, intimidation and damage to fences and vehicles. Farmers have routinely reported fears for personal safety. Many of them have called for a dedicated Garda rural crime unit, similar to those in Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales, to co-ordinate patrols and intelligence. I commend the IFA, which is very vocal on this issue and has put forward that solution, which I support. In order to be constructive and to address this issue directly, after speaking with farmers and farm organisations, I brought forward the Criminal Justice (Trespass on Land) Bill 2025 last October. I believe this very short Bill could have a significant impact by introducing a greater level of legal clarity for farmers and landowners as well. This Bill would significantly expand the scope of the physical area captured within the law of trespass, capturing not just the land on which the farm buildings and curtilage of the buildings are situated but all the farm and agricultural land. The important thing I want to raise today is that the plague of farm trespassing has to be dealt with urgently and effectively because it is causing much distress to farmers. We need immediate reform of the existing law of trespass. The time for tea and sympathy being offered to traumatised farm families is over. I ask the Government if it will commit to reforming the law of trespass as it pertains to agricultural land and farmland in particular, and if Government will commit to doing that during this Dáil term so that farming and rural families can feel more secure from the criminal threat that has impacted them for years.

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I commend my PA, David Mullins, and the OPLA, which was very helpful and encouraged me to bring forward the Bill I mentioned. That Bill is available as a template if the Government wishes to use it. I will play my part and I am happy to work with every party and none.

Sentiment score: 0.60

I thank the Tánaiste for his response and the co-operation, which we need urgently. While there is legislation in place, farmers and gardaí are telling me that it is insufficient because it is not giving them enough power. That is where we need to toughen those laws, which I know the Tánaiste is happy to do. He acknowledged that and it is certainly welcome. However, there is another issue where the current legislation puts the onus on the farmer. A farmer who is possibly being intimidated by a gang - maybe their family is being intimidated too - is expected to get up in court and give evidence. There is a big problem there. As a farmer who endured a distressing ordeal said to me, it is putting the handcuffs on the landowner when they should be on the trespasser. I want to mention a related issue that is becoming deeply disturbing. Farmers have informed me that dogs are being deliberately set on sheep. Earlier this week, Senator Paul Daly held an audiovisual room briefing about attacks on sheep. I have heard disturbing reports that this is being done deliberately. We need to crack down on and be much tougher on this issue.

Sentiment score: -0.11