Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Resourcing for An Garda Síochána falls within the area of responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, and resourcing of the roads policing unit within An Garda Síochána is a matter for the acting Garda Commissioner.

The issue of resourcing the roads policing unit, along with targeted visible enforcement of road traffic law by An Garda Síochána, was identified as a priority in the mid-term review of the road safety strategy, which I approved last year.  The review, which is available on the Road Safety Authority's website, also focuses on enhancing interventions to address the main killer behaviours on Irish roads - speeding, drink-driving, using a mobile telephone and not wearing a seat belt - with stricter penalties for non-compliance.

Enforcement of road traffic law by An Garda Síochána is discussed at every meeting of the ministerial committee on road safety.  At the most recent ministerial committee meeting on 2 May 2018, the Minister for Justice and Equality, as he was unavailable to attend, was represented by an official from his Department.  The Garda was represented by the relevant assistant commissioner.  The meeting was informed by An Garda Síochána that 70 new members were assigned to roads policing by the end of the first quarter of 2018 and an additional 80 new members will be assigned to roads policing by the end of the third quarter of 2018. 

The Garda also informed the meeting that a competition is to commence later in 2018 to select additional members to be assigned to roads policing in 2019, with the objective of adding a further 100 members by the end of 2019.  I was directly assured that just under 1,000 gardaí will be assigned to roads policing by 2020, to meet the target set last year in the mid-term review of the road safety strategy. 

There is little doubt that high visibility Garda roads policing and enforcement influence driver behaviour and are key components in reducing the number of fatalities and serious injuries on our roads.

I am confident that this increase in resources, together with implementation of the other key interventions identified in the mid-term review of the road safety strategy, will have an impact on further reducing deaths and injuries on our roads over the coming years.

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