Shoplifting and larceny should be taken seriously as they can jeopardise the future of businesses and jobs, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has told the Dáil.
His comments came after last night's Prime Time programme about a surge in retail crime and anti-social behaviour, where levels of abuse against retail workers were described as "out of control".
This afternoon, Fine Gael TD Alan Dillon 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?"
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, Mr 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."
According to figures presented to the retail sector by gardaí at a recent meeting of the National Garda Retail Theft Forum, reported theft from shops increased by 41% last year.
Responding, the Taoiseach said: "We all believe that shoplifting, larceny, these crimes should be taken seriously.
"It is not just a case of taking something from a shop. You jeopardise somebody’s business, you potentially jeopardise the employment of the people working in those businesses."
He added: "Generally, retailers operate off small margins so just taking one or two items might be the same as eliminating the margin from 20 or 30 items, thus putting the business under pressure. Then, the business can’t pay bills that it owes to others, then the business can’t keep staff on. So, it is a serious offence and I think it’s important that it is treated seriously."
The Taoiseach pledged to raise these issues with Minister for Justice Simon Harris.
Level of abuse against retail workers 'out of control'
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Last night Tara Buckley, Director General of the RGDATA organisation which represents more than 4,000 independent grocery stores, said the level of abuse and harassment of retail workers is "out of control".
She told Prime Time: "The amount of crime, day in, day out, shoplifting, theft, assault, harassment, racist attacks, sexual harassment…our members are really concerned."
Vincent Jennings, CEO of the Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association (CSNA), called for gardaí and the Department of Justice to initiate "a zero tolerance policy for violent and aggressive behaviour towards essential workers".
