Frustration at lack of extra road policing units
A SLIGO TD has hit out at the slow rate of extra Garda roads policing units being appointed over the last seven years.
Martin Kenny, who is Sinn Féin's spokesman on Transport and Communications criticised government’s failure to grow numbers within the Garda Roads Policing Unit.
His comments come after he received a Parliamentary Question response from the Department of Justice which reveals that “as of the end of February 2024, there were 627 members assigned to the Garda roads policing unit, compared to 623 in 2017”.
“This is an appalling failure and shows government has failed to act with the urgency road safety requires," said Kenny.
“Fatalities on our roads have increased by more than 20 per cent in the first four months of this year, yet we don’t see a growth in Garda members to police our roads.
“I recently submitted an amendment to the Road Traffic Bill 2024, which would ensure that a minimum number of Gardaí are maintained within the roads policing units each year. For reasons best known to themselves, TD’s from Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party voted against this.
“The majority of road users are safe, responsible people. However, for those who are continuing to engage in dangerous behaviours which are risking their own lives and those around them, we need to see enforcement of current roads legislation.
“This cannot happen without a Roads Policing Unit that is resourced in terms of tools and boots-on-theground. The solutions are there and government must act urgently and decisively to deliver the change that is needed. There are no excuses for government inaction on this serious issue.”
SLIGO-STRANDHILL councillor Tom MacSharry’s insistence that a report on coastal erosion in the Strandhill area would be discussed by councillors won the day at last week’s (April 8) meeting of Sligo County Council where he dug in his heels on having consultants present the report at a meeting before the current Council term ends - the Council have just one more full meeting before the June 7 local elections.
He said he wanted the report discussed because it was so important and potentially “one of the biggest issues” to impact Strandhill.
“It is a very important report. I think it could become one of the biggest issues, certainly in Strandhill, and I think it is only fair that all councillors have an opportunity to talk.
There has to be accountability and I don’t mean that in a bad way,” he said.
Cllr MacSharry raised his concerns that the report, which was funded and paid for by the taxpayer, should be discussed with fellow councillors before the current council term ended.
He raised his concerns when the minutes for the March meeting of the council were up for adoption.
“He said he understood that the report on coastal erosion in Strandhill would be circulated at last Monday week’s meeting and queried why it was not circulated “in the interests of fairness and transparency”.
Emer Concannon, Sligo County Council, said the consultants who did the report were not available to attend Monday’s meeting. She said a date would have to be agreed at a later meeting.
Cllr MacSharry pointed out that with an election looming there was only one more full meeting of Sligo County Council left in the current term of elected members.
He said the report was good news in that it had been commissioned, it had been funded. “It’s a good report, but out there in the ether people don’t know about this report.
“There is a report here and I think it only fair and right that we as councillors get an opportunity to discuss certain matters [in that report] with the authors and architects of that report.”
He said it was his information that the coastal erosion committee in Strandhill were happy with the report. “They think it was done in a timely manner, but there are options that we as public representatives need to discuss.”
Because of that he asked that Ms Concannon would try to have someone from the authors of the report to attend the next meeting of Sligo County Council to discuss the report.
“At the end of the day, it was public money which was spent in compiling the report and that is to Sligo County Council’s credit, so it is only fair we have an opportunity to discuss that report with the relevant people,” he said.
Ms Concannon said the report was available online, that there had been a report given to a SPC meeting.
Cllr MacSharry replied: “That’s grand, but there are a number of councillors here [in the chamber]. It is a very important report. I think it could become one of the biggest issues, certainly in Strandhill, and I think it is only fair that all councillors have an opportunity to talk.
“I don’t want a situation ‘if they are available, we will do it’ and ‘if they are not available …’ They should be available. There has to be accountability and I don’t mean that in a bad way.”
Cllr Gerard
Mullaney,
Cathaoirleach, said every effort would be made to have the report on the agenda.
Cllr Declan Bree said he agreed with the comments made by Cllr MacSharry and he hoped that, if given adequate notice, the authors of the report would be able to make themselves available to speak to councillors.
Chief Executive Martin Lydon pointed out that usually only one presentation was made at each Council meeting. One such presentation, from the Carers’ Association, was already slotted in for the next and final meeting. He asked councillors if they now wanted to have two presentations.
Cllr MacSharry said because it was such an important issue he favoured doing so, adding, “it doesn’t have to be a long presentation. If we only have one meeting left I think it is crucially important we have someone here to take some questions.”
After brief further discussion the CE said they would ask the consultants to attend a meeting of Sligo Strandhill Municipal District and the report would be discussed there.
This was accepted by Cllr MacSharry and agreed by the members.