RGDATA seeks meeting with Justice Minister on retail crime

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar

Association continues to actively follow up on its Retail Crime Survey to ensure that the serious issues highlighted by members are addressed

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Following the recent publication of retailer association RGDATA’s latest Crime Survey, the stark findings led to a RTE TV Primetime Special Report.

This included interviews with retailers Sheila and Catherine Clarke and Shane Gleeson and RGDATA director general Tara Buckley in which RGDATA highlighted how crime in shops was “out of control”.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar acknowledged the serious issues raised by RGDATA during Leader’s Questions in the Dáil last Wednesday, 22 March.

Fine Gael TD Alan Dillon had asked the Taoiseach: “What changes are planned in legislation to protect our local shops and convenience store staff and owners who state they are losing €100s, if not €1,000s, per week as a result of these crimes?”

RGDATA and CSNA member Sheila Clarke, who runs Clarkes XL petrol station and shop in Ballina, Co Mayo, claimed on Prime Time that the retail sector is currently experiencing “a pandemic of petty crime”.

Raising her concerns in the Dáil, Dillon said: “The Ballina-based owner said there is not enough repercussions for young offenders involved in retail crime. The issue is that where owners report these offences, the perpetrators are released and, at times within hours they have returned to the scene of the crime to taunt their victims again.”

Furthermore, Minister for Retail Neale Richmond said the issues must be tackled when he chaired The Retail Forum last week and in the Seanad later the same day where the issues were raised by Senator Barry Ward.

RGDATA thanked all members who assisted the association in making its report. The association is continuing to actively follow up on the survey to ensure that the serious issues highlighted by members are addressed, and is also seeking a meeting with the Justice Minister to discuss retail crime in detail.

Vincent Jennings, CEO of the Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association (CSNA), has also called for gardaí and the Department of Justice to initiate “a zero tolerance policy for violent and aggressive behaviour towards essential workers”.

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