Latest news with #gardaí
Irish Times
7 hours ago
- General
- Irish Times
Judge overseeing firearms case against Carlow gunman says court cannot overrule Garda consent to bail
The judge overseeing the firearms case brought against Carlow gunman Evan Fitzgerald has said he wants to 'set the record straight' following 'a lot of headlines about a man on bail'. The 22-year-old fired shots into the air at Fairgreen Shopping Centre on Monday night before dying from a self-inflicted wound. No one was injured by the shots, but a young girl sustained a minor leg injury when she fell while running from the centre, gardaí said. Mr Fitzgerald, from Portrush, Kiltegan, Wicklow, was on bail awaiting trial on four counts of possession of firearms and explosives in a forest near Ponsonby Bridge, Straffan, Kildare, in March last year. He was charged with possessing a G3 Heckler and Kock machine gun, a Remmington M1911 handgun and two types of ammunition. His case was due back before Kildare District Court on Wednesday, when the charges against him were formally withdrawn. READ MORE Judge Desmond Zaidan said the man's bail was set with the consent of gardaí on March 4th, 2024. Once gardaí have consented to bail conditions, bail must be granted, he said, adding that he has no power to overrule. 'It's up to gardaí. It's not unique to this case; it's in every bail application.' Gardaí said on Wednesday that their investigation into the incident in Carlow is ongoing. The results of a postmortem on the deceased were not being released for 'operational reasons'. Previously, the court heard gardaí alleged the firearms and ammunition were purchased on the dark web. Gardaí told the court Mr Fitzgerald had made full admissions and had a 'fascination with firearms' and was 'big time into firearms'. Gardaí initially objected to bail but withdrew their application on the basis of conditions being imposed.
Irish Times
7 hours ago
- General
- Irish Times
Roads policing numbers at historic low of 618 gardaí, figures show
The number of gardaí involved in roads policing units has dropped to a historic low of 618 according to the latest Department of Justice figures. There has been a steady decline since 2009 when official figures for those engaged in roads policing began to be regularly published. That year 1,046 gardaí were assigned to road policing duties and the numbers involved fell to a low of 623 in 2017. They rose over the next four years to 736 in 2021 but have fallen again, down to 627 last year. In January this year the number of gardaí in the units dropped to 626, to 623 in February and was down to 618 by the end of April. READ MORE Every region and county has seen the number of roads policing gardaí drop, in some cases by more than 50 per cent since 2009. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris told the Oireachtas Transport Committee in May last year 'we plan to add 75 gardaí to roads policing this year and a further 75 in 2025, and working towards this, we are proactively recruiting into our roads policing units'. A recruitment campaign was undertaken in eastern, north-western and southern regions last year. But Susan Gray of road safety campaign group Parc said the figures show a reduction of nine members at the end of April compared to last year. 'They are just playing catch up all the time.' The figures show the Sligo/Leitrim Garda Division had 23 members in 2021, but it was down to 11 in February this year. Donegal had 31 Garda roads policing members in 2021, which fell to 21 last year, a reduction of 10 officers in three years. Official Road Safety Authority data shows 17 road deaths in Donegal last year, 'the highest number since 2010 when 19 died', Ms Gray said. Sixty-nine people have died on Irish roads so far this year, she said. In the Dublin Metropolitan Area the numbers have dropped from their 2009 high but have remained consistent over the last two to three years. In Dublin's eastern region which goes from Dún Laoghaire to Stepaside and takes in Dundrum, Blackrock, Shankill and Cabinteely, the numbers dropped from 18 in 2009 to four in 2023 and rose to nine the following year, where they have remained. In Laois/Offaly there were 42 dedicated roads policing officers in 2009 which fell to 24 in 2023 and dropped to 18 in April this year. 'It is very disappointing,' said Ms Gray. 'Everybody talks about road safety being a priority and everywhere we look it's obvious it's not a priority,' she said. 'We hoped to see the figures going up rather than down for gardaí involved in roads policing.'
Irish Times
8 hours ago
- Health
- Irish Times
Teenager removed from Dublin ‘house of horrors' spent €30,000 in past year, court told
A teenage boy, who is in State care having been removed from a 'house of horrors', has spent up to €30,000 in the past year, Dublin District Childcare Court heard on Wednesday. Judge John Campbell was told that social workers do not know where the boy got the money, but fear his father, who is being sought by gardaí in relation to alleged domestic violence, may have lodged it into his account. Alternatively, the court heard, the boy may be being 'groomed' by criminals or being used as a 'money mule'. The boy is one of several siblings removed from a home in the Dublin area after the authorities were prompted to visit after one of the children attempted suicide. The same court last week heard the home described as a 'house of horrors' . READ MORE On visiting the house, authorities found locks on internal doors, neglect of children and other factors that led to fears the children's mother had been severely restricted in her movements for many years, possibly more than a decade and a half. The woman was in court on Wednesday, with support. David Stafford, solicitor for the children's guardian ad litem – an independent person appointed by the court to represent the voice of the child – said it was assumed the money had come from the father, 'but we don't know that'. Mr Stafford said the guardian ad litem wanted to know the name of the account holder who was sending the boy money, but this was difficult to ascertain. There were 'very concerning' reports about the boy, the court was told. He had been seen in the company of four older men by staff at his care placement and there were concerns one may be his father, a man who had hit his children 'a lot' around the head. A Tusla staff member said the father had been 'leaving voicemails on the Tusla office phone', asking social workers to 'call back urgently'. When they called back, his phone was off. He was 'trying to control the narrative and find out information about his children', the judge heard. The court, which was hearing applications from Tusla to extend the children's interim care orders, was told there was a continued lack of an aftercare plan for the oldest child, who turns 18 later this month. 'We have no care plan ... we have no provision for where she is going to live,' Mr Stafford said. The judge was told Tusla and the HSE had identified an onward placement for her about which there had been 'good reviews', but both parties wanted to do 'due diligence' and await further checks, given the girl has 'such a high level of needs'. Both the HSE and Tusla appreciated 'the clock is ticking' and that the girl 'needs an answer', the judge was told.
BreakingNews.ie
a day ago
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Almost 3,000 drivers caught speeding over bank holiday weekend
Almost 3,000 drivers were caught speeding over the bank holiday weekend, according to gardaí. This wass part of an operation that started on Thursday at 7am and lasted until 7am Tuesday. Advertisement The highst speed was recorded was on the M50 at Templeogue, where a driver was recorded riving 188km/h in a 100km/h zone. Other speeds included a driver going 119km/h in a 80km/h zone on R148 at Broadford, Co. Kildare. While in Dunboyne, Co. Meath, a driver was recorded going 114km/h in a 60km/h zone. Over 4,000 breath tests and approximately 270 oral fluid tests were carried out, leading to 167 arrests for suspected driving under the influence of an intoxicant. Advertisement During this period, there was one fatality on our roads, while 14 serious collisions resulted in 14 individuals sustaining severe and life-threatening injuries. There was 210 fixed charge notices for drivers using their phones, with over 215 for Unaccompanied learner drivers. Over 70 drivers were given fixed charged notices for not wearing a seatbelt. 99 vehicles were seized from learner permit holders driving unaccompanied, with 380 vehicles seized for not having tax or insurance. In a statement, gardaí said: "An Garda Síochána continue to appeal to all road users to never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, to slow down and to always choose a speed that is appropriate to the driving conditions, to wear your seatbelt and keep your eyes always on the road."
BreakingNews.ie
2 days ago
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Man seriously injured in Dublin city centre assault
A man was seriously injured in an assault in Dublin city centre on Monday afternoon. The assault took place in the Rosie Hackett Bridge, Eden Quay area of Dublin 1 at around 4.30pm. Advertisement The man was brought to Mater Misericordiae Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. The scene is currently preserved for technical examination, gardaí said in a statement. A man in his 30s was arrested and is detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at a garda station in the Dublin city area. Gardaí have appealed for witnesses to come forward, in particular anyone who may have been in the area of Rosie Hackett Bridge, Eden Quay, between 4pm and 5pm have been asked to come forward. A statement said that gardaí are particularly interested in speaking with anyone who may have information about any of the incidents or any mobile phone footage recorded at the relevant locations. Any road users who may have camera footage, including dash-cam, and were travelling in the area at the time, have been asked to make it available to investigating gardaí. Anyone with information has asked to contact Store Street Garda Station on (01) 666 8000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any garda station. Investigations are ongoing.
