Carnaross Mart to feature on tonight's Prime Time special on farm thefts

An in-depth Prime Time report into farm thefts which airs on RTE One tonight includes a visit to Carnaross Mart where farmers speak about their experiences of farm thefts.

Mart manager Padraig McElroy tells the programme how he himself was a victim, after having his jeep stolen.

The Prime Time Report looks at how criminals are increasingly targeting rural communities with the theft of livestock, machinery, trailers and quads and how farmers are fighting back by using GPS technology and tracker devices.

Vehicles and large pieces of machinery - including quad bikes, jeeps, trailers and are being stolen from farms across the country, often under the cover of darkness, CCTV footage obtained by Prime Time shows.

Certain types of equipment, including GPS systems used in tractors that are worth up to €20,000, are also among the items being stolen.

Farmers who spoke to the programme say they are increasingly concerned about the scale of theft they are experiencing.

Some of the stolen property is later transported to eastern Europe while others are sold at markets across the country.

Carnaross Mart on the Meath-Cavan border is one of the busiest livestock marts in the country. Most mart goers that spoke to Prime Time said they were either victims of farm theft or knew victims.

The theft of jeeps was the most common concern among those at the mart. The manager Pádraig McElroy has personally been a victim. He came out of work one evening to find his jeep had been stolen.

"It was there one minute, gone the next. I rang the guards, and it was seen on local CCTV cameras, but unfortunately, it was never found," Mr McElroy said.

"Most men that I know in this day and age have trackers, and hopefully they do get them back, but I'd say 90 per cent of them when they're gone, they're gone," he added.

Another farmer at the mart told Prime Time that thieves are running "sophisticated" operations.

"They're watching farms, they're studying, they're coming in at the right times. They know where cameras are. They're getting around any security that you may have in place," he said.

Smaller items that are stolen can end up anywhere from online marketplaces to car boot sales.

Some farmers have taken to using drones to spot unwanted intruders on their lands following a spate of robberies and theft on their farms. Prime Time explores where the machinery ends up and what can be done to put a stop to these thefts.

Prime Time airs on RTE One tonight (Thursday) at 9.35pm.