Ms Paula Hilman:

I thank the committee for the opportunity to be here today. I am the assistant commissioner with responsibility for roads policing and community engagement in An Garda Síochána. I am accompanied today by acting chief superintendent, Mr. Thomas Murphy, superintendents Seán O’Reardon and Seán Fallon, who co-ordinate and monitor the operations and activities of the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau. Under my leadership, the bureau is responsible for policy formulation, communications and media relations, inter-agency co-ordination and traffic enforcement strategies. Road safety and roads policing remain a strategic priority for An Garda Síochána and are included in our policing plan for 2022. The plan gives effect to our strategy statement to continue to promote and enforce responsible behaviours on our roads, reduce risk to vulnerable users through targeted prevention and intervention activities, work in partnership with the Road Safety Authority and others to strengthen collaboration to achieve our collective vision and deliver road safety objectives through high-visibility operations, education, engineering and co-operation.

We are committed to ensuring that our roadways, cycle lanes and footpaths are safe for all users, with particular focus on vulnerable road users, given the risks caused by vehicles parked on footpaths and cycle lanes. While the enforcement of road traffic legislation is part of the everyday work of all members of An Garda Síochána, we also work in tandem with local authority partners who share responsibilities in this area. This allows us, especially our roads policing members, to focus on lifesaver enforcement, education and influencing road user behaviours. Additionally, we periodically mount specific operations to target illegal parking, which has a detrimental effect on the most vulnerable in society.

I will now briefly outline the structures and governance within An Garda Síochána in the areas of roads policing. We have four regional assistant commissioners who are responsible for governance and oversight of roads policing performance in their respective regions, utilising the dedicated divisional roads policing units and inspectors in each division. In addition, a chief superintendent has been assigned a portfolio. That chief superintendent works with us in the national bureau for targeted co-ordination and tasking of roads policing personnel across their region. This ensures an agile process that takes into account current national and regional trends. This is very much evidence-based and data-led and represents what our data is showing us annually. It supports our vision of fostering a culture of continuous improvement, enhancing innovation and responsiveness to change by ensuring that roads policing activities are information-led. The plan is aligned to our national communication strategy and also incorporates inter-agency enforcement.

I have covered our internal roads policing structures, one of a number of strands that have governance and oversight over roads policing nationally. Externally, I am a member of the road safety transformation board, which has governance over the governmental road safety strategy. I also report to the Policing Authority on roads policing matters. I thank the committee members for their time. I know there are many other areas which we can cover in the questions.