£10 million of cars being left unguarded

December 1982

Security at the car compound at Rosslare Harbour, which houses new cars with an estimated total value of £10 million, is ‘primitive’, according to a local Garda.

There is no guard at night, no alarm system, sometimes the gates are left open overnight, and often times, keys are left in unlocked new cars there, some of which are worth up to £15,000 each.

Details of the poor security measures emerged in Wexford Circuit Court this week, when six youths pleaded guilty to charges in relation to an incident last August when more than £10,000 of damage was done to new cars in the compound.

The court heard that some of those involved were less than 14 years old and the vandalism took place while their parents thought they were home in bed.

Garda Joe Murphy, who investigated the case, told Judge Sheridan during the hearing that security is ‘primitive’ at the car compound. He said he had spoken to port authority management about this in the past. They said they had tried to devise a system where the keys could be taken out of cars and stored somewhere else, but this had proven ‘difficult to come up with’.

The Garda also remarked how a night watchman could employed by the port authorities at only a small cost in comparison to the total value of the cars kept in the compound.

Judge Sheridan recommended the security measures be upgraded at the port. In respect of the defendants before him, he found them all guilty of the offences and said he would adjourn sentencing for one year, to monitor their behaviours in the meantime.