The deputy president of the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) has appealed to farmers not to confront aggressive trespassers on their land.

Alice Doyle made the comments at the launch of the Rural Safety Plan 2025-2027 at the National Ploughing Championships in Co. Offaly today (Wednesday, September 17).

The plan has been developed by the National Rural Safety Forum in conjunction with the Department of Justice, Home Affairs, and Migration.

Alice Doyle said that trespassing is "a huge issue" which is increasing for rural people, and in particular farmers. She said "a lot of people" are being intimidated by trespassers.

"We've seen videos, we see it on social media where people have put up how seriously they have been intimidated.

"We also have property damage done as the result of them coming in on private property. We've had animals affected, in-lamb ewes, we've had in-calf cows who have been chased by dogs [brought] by people trespassing. It's becoming a very serious issue," she said.

Doyle said that the new Rural Safety Plan will aim to address trespassing.

"I think what's in the plan for this is that we will be working as a multi-agency group on it, rather than just farmers trying to work with the guards on our own and we've been doing a lot of work.

"We've been dealing with this with the gardaí for a long time but now we have the other people on the forum, there's 24 groups in there and it is collaborative," she said.

Doyle explained that the IFA has also agreed a protocol with An Garda Síochána on trespassing on farms.

"If someone comes on the farm, you do not confront them. You may ask them to leave but if it gets any way controversial or aggressive you stand back, you move away from them, you put it immediately to 999 or 112.

"Instead of waiting for the local garda station, you ring that number and you give your location. That's the protocol, try to give the location.

"If you have an Eircode great. If you don't, you'll give them a landmark or an address.

"You also give them the direction of travel of the people because those people are crossing farms and you could be in one townland now and you cross into the next farm or you go out to a road and you're in a different one," she said.