Shameless steal.. shoplifting surge plagues retailers

Some counties see 300% rise in two decades

- CATHAL RYAN

NEW figures show a massive increase in shoplifting across the country in the past two decades, soaring by more than 300% in some counties.

Fed-up shopkeepers said it's "hardly worth" calling gardai anymore.

Between 2003 and 2024, in-store pilfering rocketed by 314% in Kildare, by 227% in Tipperary, 207% in Wexford and 180% in Co Limerick.

In Clare it went up by 191%, while Wicklow (183%) and Sligo-Leitrim (159%) also saw sizeable hikes in such thefts.

The only Garda division where the crime actually fell was Dublin North Central, where it dropped slightly by 3% from a nationwide high of 2,740 cases.

The data was obtained by Ireland South MEP Cynthia Ni Mhurchu, who spoke to a number of retailers about the challenges they face on a daily basis.

One Carlow-based shopowner told her: