Cross-border partnership sought to tackle farm thefts

By Philip Rooney, The Sligo Champion

The issue of cross-border thefts of farm machinery was on the agenda at November’s monthly meeting of Sligo County Council with a councillor proposing that the local authority write to Taoiseach Michael Martin and Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill, “To devise a collaboration between the two governments to ensure a seamless investigation and recovery of stolen property will be achieved.”

Speaking on his motion, Cllr Michael Clarke said matters are not followed up even in cases where items were found in Northern Ireland due to gps in trackers being placed on items that were subsequently stolen. However, Cllr Clarke explained, “Because it was not stolen in Northern Ireland, the police could not follow up.”

Cllr Clarke said he had been contacted by a man from Tubbercurry whose generator had been stolen. The generator was subsequently discovered in Northern Ireland but it couldn’t be returned as it was not stolen in Northern Ireland.

Supporting the motion Cllr Donal Gilroy said, “The call has to go out, don’t buy unless you know where it has come from.”

Cllr Arthur Gibbons also offered his support for the motion saying, “I cannot understand how no scrap dealer was ever done for handling stolen goods. We’ve all seen over the years what is happening to farmers and on building sites.”