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FEMALE TOURISTS AGED between 17-25 are the most common tourist victims of crime in Ireland, according to a group which offers victim support.
The Irish Tourist Assistance Service (ITAS) said today that it experienced a 24% increase in demand for its services last year.
The ITAS annual report recorded that they helped nearly 900 people who had fallen victim to crime and other traumatic events during their visit to Ireland in 2017.
The most common crime perpetrated against tourists was theft, which made up 39% of referrals to the ITAS.
After that, theft from cars is becoming more common and made up 11% of referrals last year.
The ITAS says that a small number of tourists (15) were referred after violent crime such as aggravated theft, assault, sexual assault and robbery.
Referrals to the service are most commonly made by gardaí and the ITAS annual report details that most of these come from Pearse Street Garda Station due to the number of crimes against tourists being committed in Dublin city centre.
The report states that 40% of the crimes it dealt with occurred on the streets of Dublin. The majority of these took place between the hours of 2-6pm, with victims tending to be female aged between 17-25 years.
In total, the ITAS said it assisted tourists from 48 countries last year and that it was thankful that the vast majority were able to continue with their holiday after they received support.
“The aim of the service is to provide visitors who are victims of crime with immediate support and information in order to make a positive difference to their experience,”chairman Kevin McPartlan said.
“In 2017, 88% of tourists assisted by ITAS continued with their holiday plans. I would like to thank the organisations and agencies who support ITAS. This support enhances Ireland’s international reputation as a caring and hospitable nation.”
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Let’s blame Airbnb for a housing shortage that FG are unwilling and incapable of solving. Reduce capital gain tax and incentivise new developments through tax. Stop the building height restrictions. Half of north Dublin City is in ruin with empty houses all over it.
A few weeks ago he said he wasn’t going regulate it, I think this guy is making it up as he goes along.
Kirk he’s trying to be popular FG leadership coming up ok
A lot of people that rent out rooms etc on Airbnb, do so out of necessity. It provides an income supplement that many people needed during the height of the recession because of the austerity imposed by the government. Of course some people are going to make a fortune out of it, and more luck to them. In my opinion though, regulating Airbnb will only serve as a tax collecting tool, not something that will actually fix the housing crisis. I think their first port of call should be to reduce the tax on rental income that landlords have to pay. This would encourage more people to invest in property, as it would mean the property would pay for itself when rented out!
@pheilum. A lot of people also rent out entire properties on a full-time basis via airbnb. I agree that it won’t fix the housing crisis, but I strongly believe that those renting out full time should be regulated. They should have to apply for planning permission for change of use. After all, the premises is no longer a home. They should pay taxes and they should have to ensure that they meet health and safety standards. A person occasionally renting out a spare room entirely different.
Well if you agree that it won’t fix the housing crisis what is the problem? Btw who said they don’t pay taxes?
Coveney be better off regulating hotel prices in city’s over weekends ?
Only if he wants hotels to go out of business. Hotel prices are the sort of thing that don’t need regulation. If they’re too high, the rooms remain empty. If they’re too low, the hotel runs at a loss. Encouraging the building of more hotels – or the use of houses and apartments as short-term lets – would drive hotel prices down.
Convey, ask Europe what to do. If it suits FG, go for it , If not , ignore em. Ain’t that the FG way ?
Willy FG are a facist party
Regulate, regulate, regulate.
Keep regulating so that any competition to the status quo is abolished.
Keep regulating so that home owners can’t generate a small side income without being hammered with taxes.
Keep regulating so that there is no more innovation.
Keep regulating so that costs to employers are driver up thereby squeezing wages.
Keep regulating, Keep regulating, Keep regulating FFS.
Why isn’t there anyone standing up for property rights? Why is it the individual property owners responsibility to solve the housing crisis caused by government? The little guy paying the bills yet again
I don’t do ab&b but surely it’s a property owner’s responsibility to do what they want with he property they pay for?
Airbnb is responsible for bringing in tourists who spend a lot of €€€€€€€€, thread carefully.
Nanny state strikes again….
The more he interferes with the rental market the more flee from it ..including his beloved large professional landlord firms
The headline makes it sound like he’s looking for a brown envelope. “Satisfactory arrangement”, I wonder what that could mean?
When they say It’s not right, what they really mean is it exposes the government’s failure to adequately implement any real policy to address housing shortages. It has nothing to do with being right and everything to with making the government look incompetent and its housing policy look non-existent.
Airbnb overall increases the supply of accommodation. It has the potential to take an under-utilised resource… a house or apartment which is vacant part of the time or a place someone does not want to let long term and makes it available on the market.
Governments around the world are going to have to get used to a sharing economy and too technology easily, cheaply and efficiently connecting individuals with something to share with someone else that has need.
Why doesn’t he keep his fat nose out of our business?
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