Local residents in west Co Meath have called on the Minister for Justice to intervene in response to what they say is a lack of gardaí in the area.
Over 100 residents gathered in Ballivor to highlight what they believe to be an increase in criminal activity since the downgrading of a garda station in the village.
The local residents have called on Jim O'Callaghan to increase garda resources in the village and in the wider area.
It follows a number of burglaries, break-ins and incidents of theft over recent weeks.
Several businesses were broken into in Ballivor and in the neighbouring village of Kildalkey in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Later that night, three businesses in the nearby Co Westmeath village of Rathwire were also targeted.
Organisers said all local councillors and elected representatives for the area were invited to attend this afternoon’s protest at Ballivor Garda Station.
'Enough is enough'
Chair of Ballivor Community Council Niall Spelman said the protest had been organised because of a "recent spate of crimes" in the locality.
Mr Spelman, who is also a local resident, said: "As An Garda Síochána deal with a staffing, recruitment and retention crisis, we might as well have a garden centre here instead of garda station because at least a garden centre would be open sometimes.
"We are being ignored and forgotten about by the Government like so many other rural communities and we have had enough."
Claire O’Mara, a Ballivor resident and a member of the local community council, also addressed the protest.
"When the village was a lot smaller, we had a sergeant and two gardaí," she said.
However, she added: "Now, we don’t have any gardaí, enough is enough."
Ms O’Mara said people in the village "are afraid to walk anywhere in the area after dark and even in the summer, people are fearful of having their windows open in their homes".
"It’s simply not right," Ms O’Mara added.
Meanwhile, Aontú Leader and Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín said the people of the area should no longer have to tolerate such behaviour in their communities and that there was a clear link between an increase in crimes and areas that have faced garda station closures.
Addressing the protest, Mr Tóibin said: "Meath has the lowest number of gardaí per capita than anywhere else in the country.
"The station here in Ballivor is practically closed, Athboy is practically closed, Oldcastle is practically closed, Enfield is practically closed."
He said people in such areas are "easy targets for criminals", adding "that should not be the case".
"You are being let down by this Government," he added.
Sinn Féin TD Johnny Guirke said there is a lack of gardaí in his constituency of Meath West, adding that this is causing a sense of fear among the wider public.
Deputy Guirke said: "Of the ten garda stations located in Navan, Trim, Ballivor, Enfield, Athboy, Longwood, Oldcastle, Summerhill, Delvin and Castlepollard, only two were being manned on a full-time basis."
The Sinn Féin TD said at the moment in Co Meath, there is one garda for every 700 people, while in Co Waterford, there is one garda for fewer than 350 people.
Those at the protest now intend to gather the signatures of other local residents and send them to the Minister for Justice in an effort to further highlight their concerns.
