THE president of the Irish Farmers Association, Mr John Donnelly, has called for a Yes vote in the bail referendum.
Mr Donnelly said farmers and rural families should use the referendum on November 28th to show their concern about crime.
"This referendum must mark a turning point in the fight against crime and is a decisive move to correct the imbalance in our judicial system which has too often been weighted against the victims of crime," he said.
The referendum will make it possible for a person to be refused bail if it is thought they might commit another crime while released on bail. Mr Donnelly said yesterday that the courts must be given that power.
"The number of crimes committed by those on bail has doubled in the past five years."
The Garda Commissioner, Mr Pat Byrne, said the official Garda figure of 5,500 crimes committed last year by persons on bail was the "absolute minimum", as it reflected only detected crime.
However, Mr Byrne said he could not otherwise comment on the referendum, as it was a political question. "As Garda Commissioner I'm not going to tell people, what to do or what way to vote, he said.
The IFA and the Garda was launching a video to promote better security in rural areas. It shows measures which people can take to protect their homes, farms and livestock and help reduce crime in their communities.
Mr Byrne said rural crime had been decreasing, but one attack was one too many and the video would increase awareness of the ways members of the public could tackle crime.
The video is to be used by Garda community relations officers and shown at IFA meetings.