‘We’re on road to hell with collapsed traffic garda enforcement’
Minister and Taoiseach call for huge boost in policing units
TAOISEACH Simon Harris yesterday admitted he is concerned about the lack of roads policing resources.
With the number of people killed in crashes this year at 63 – 15 more than the same period in 2023 – he said Garda chief Drew Harris assured him more officers will be deployed to traffic roles.
It comes after the top cop told gardai to undertake 30 minutes of road policing on each shift.
The Taoiseach said: “You don’t need a guard to tell you not to drink and drive.
“You don’t need a guard to tell you not to take drugs and drive.
“Thirty minutes doesn’t sound like a lot [but] multiplied by the number of guards is a significant period of time.
“The second assurance was that this year we’ll see road policing numbers grow.
“I am concerned about resources in road traffic policing. I know the Commissioner has to make difficult decisions with resources.
“I want to see those resources increased. So does he and he expects them to increase this year.”
Mr Harris was speaking ahead of a meeting with the Road Safety Authority, Junior Transport Minister Jack Chambers, Justice Minister Helen Mcentee and Transport Minister Eamon Ryan. Mr Chambers told the Irish Mirror enforcement levels have “collapsed” on the roads.
He said: “You have double-digit reductions in enforcement with the reductions in the numbers and roads policing units.
“I welcome the fact he’s complimenting the work of roads policing units with 30 minutes per day for all uniformed police gardai.
“But that needs to be complimented with tangible allocations to roads policing units who have the core responsibility when it comes to enforcement.”
Mr Chambers added plans to reform the RSA will be brought to the Government this year.
The Taoiseach said he was meeting the RSA to see what it could “bring to the table”.
He later noted it was “not an advocacy group” and it needs to give people “confidence” it is doing “everything humanly possible”.
However, Mr Harris said he does have confidence in the RSA.
Meanwhile, Mr Ryan told the Irish Mirror that reducing the number of cars and trucks will mean fewer accidents and deaths.
He said: “We have to redesign the roads. We need to have better enforcement, good education.
“But when you make the switch, when we have less cars, less trucks – then we will have less fatalities.
“There’s a real benefit in the environmental change in so many different ways... but one of the things that benefits is safety.
“By switching people to other vehicles, there’s less accidents, less fatalities and less serious
injuries.”
I want to see those resources increased & so does he [Garda chief] TAOISEACH SIMON HARRIS