Written answers

Tuesday, 20 May 2025

Department of Justice and Equality

Road Traffic Offences

Photo of Alan KellyAlan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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646. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the reason investment has gone into roads policing by An Garda Síochána in the past five years. [25130/25]

Photo of Jim O'CallaghanJim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The development and implementation of road traffic legislation and policy, including the Government's Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030, and the promotion and advancement of road safety, falls within the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Transport. I continue to engage with colleagues across Government to ensure that every effort is made to increase safety on our roads.

Successful road safety strategies require the implementation of a range of actions that together can save lives: technology, road design, driver behaviour and education, severity of penalties, speed limits and enforcement. An Garda Síochána plays a vital role in enforcing road traffic law and in making our roads safer for all road users, including vulnerable road users.

Road traffic laws are enforced by Gardaí assigned to Roads Policing and also as part of the day-to-day duties of uniformed Gardaí nationwide. This includes a programme of high-visibility road safety and enforcement operations carried out in partnership with other state agencies.

During 2024 An Garda Síochána increased capacity for Roads Policing and implemented many initiatives to reduce road-related deaths and improved safety. An Garda Síochána have increased capacity with:

  • deployments of High Performance Unmarked Cars,
  • unmarked motorbikes and unmarked Lorry Tractor Cab (Operation Iompair),
  • installation of two average and three static safety cameras, with additional average and static safety cameras commencing in Q1 2025,
  • additional monitoring hours for Mobile Safety Cameras (GoSafe).
Recently An Garda Síochána has commenced the deployment of Roads Policing Vehicles with a new livery, to once again clearly differentiate between Roads Policing Vehicles and other Frontline vehicles.

I am also advised that every frontline Garda member now has a mobility device, essentially a mobile phone, that allows them to access a number of specialised Garda apps at the roadside. These include the ability to issue a Fixed Charge Notice, to check a vehicle's insurance status, if a vehicle is taxed and whether a driver is disqualified. These tasks can now be done within moments, without the need to return to the station making much better use of Garda time.

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