5 days ago
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.
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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.'
