Do You Feel Safe Walking Ireland’s Streets? Episode 426

In this episode, Niall asks: Do you feel safe walking Ireland’s streets? Official figures suggest that overall crime rates in Ireland have gone down in recent years. Yet many people say they feel less safe than ever, especially with videos of random assaults and antisocial behaviour spreading quickly on social media. Are we really more at risk — or are we just seeing more of it online?

Some callers said they no longer feel safe, blaming groups of teenagers hanging around, filming attacks for views, and knowing there are few real consequences. Others pointed to immigration and claimed certain areas feel more intimidating than they did before.

Some still believe Ireland is safe compared to other places, arguing that fear is often amplified by viral clips that do not reflect most people’s daily reality. They said using common sense still keeps you safe.

Others said the real problem is trust in the system. They argued that soft sentences and a lack of Garda presence make people feel abandoned and fearful, no matter what the statistics say.

As Niall points out, this is not just about numbers. It is about whether ordinary people trust that they and their families are safe in the streets where they live.