Force focus on road safety after deaths
GARDA CHIEF MEETS WITH TAOISEACH
A NEW TV series starting on Monday will see 10 teenage boys learn about becoming men.
Man Up? on RTE2 will pit the youngsters, all aged 12-14, in a game of rounders against the All-Ireland winning team in Croke Park.
Rugby star Jordan Conroy will mentor the lads as they learn to play GAA rounders and organise a team in three weeks.
The series hopes to help the boys navigate their transition into teenagehood.
Olympic athlete Jordan will speak to them about toxic masculinity, and how opening up about their emotions doesn’t make them less of a man.
The rugby sevens player becomes vulnerable himself in the series, telling the boys about how he helped his
TAOISEACH Simon Harris and Justice Minister Helen McEntee met with Garda Commissioner Drew Harris yesterday to speak about road safety in light of the recent spikes in deaths.
The Taoiseach described the meeting with Commissioner Harris as good, and said they discussed a range of important issues.
He said: “We discussed garda recruitment and retention, road safety and the roll-out of body cameras to gardai.
“As Taoiseach, I am committed to supporting An Garda Siochana in their work.”
After the meeting Minister McEntee said: “This was a very valuable opportunity for the Taoiseach to hear first-hand about all the good work the Gardai are mother escape from an abusive relationship in Germany when he was still a child, to fighting his own inner demons through adolescence.
None of the 10 boys knew each other before the show, and they all have different personalities and come from different socioeconomic backgrounds, classes and cultures.
Each faces their own challenges in everyday life, such as racism, doing to keep our streets and communities safe.”
She said their plans will be “for further recruitment and our absolute determination to make sure our Gardai have all the tools they need to fight crime and bring criminals to justice”. Meanwhile, gardai are infuriated at Drew Harris’ new traffic policy as up to 50 officers can’t move to the Roads Policing Unit because of staff shortages, The Star can reveal
Some of the officers, who are on the Regular Unit in the Dublin Metropolitan Region, have been on the bullying, ADHD, dyslexia, body image difficulties, and parental separation. The series, which begins on RTÉ 2 on Monday, will also feature Gaelic footballer Kevin McManamon, Paralympian table tennis player Colin Judge, boxer Jack Marley, Karen Byrne from Dancing With The Stars, Shelbourne captain Luke Byrne, gamer Peter ‘Pacbull’ Bull, rower Niall O’Toole and Olympian Bryan Mollen. waiting list for months.
A source said: “Gardai on the Regular Unit are being directed to carry out traffic work on each of their shifts yet there are 50 officers on a waiting list to join the Roads Policing Unit.
“Some of them have been waiting months but they can’t be released due to staffing shortages.”
Shift
On Thursday, the Commissioner told gardai they must do 30 minutes of road safety activity on their shifts with “immediate effect”.
He said: “This approach complements increased visibility and compliance by motorists for road traffic legislation.”
Susan Gray, who is the founder of PARC (Promoting Awareness, Responsibility and Care) Road Safety Group, described it as sticking a “plaster on an open wound”.