Number of gardaí on roads at lowest level since 2006

The Garda Traffic Corps has shrunk to its smallest level since 2006 amid growing public concern about the enforcement of road traffic legislation.

New figures published by the Department of Justice show the current size of the Garda Traffic Corps now stands at 846 officers — a reduction of more than 23% since its peak in 2008.

They reveal that numbers serving in the Garda Traffic Corps have reduced by 3.5% over the past year due to the loss of 31 staff.

The figures, which were provided in response to a parliamentary question from Fine Gael TD Brendan Griffin, show the number of officers assigned to the Garda Traffic Corps have been falling continuously over the past six years.

Justice Minister Alan Shatter said he had no direct function in the size of the Garda Traffic Corps, as the Garda Commissioner was responsible for the detailed allocation of resources.

“This allocation is constantly monitored in the context of demographics, crime trends, policing needs, and other operational strategies in place on a district, divisional, and regional level to ensure optimum use is made of Garda resources and the best possible Garda service is provided to the public,” said Mr Shatter.

The Garda Traffic Corps was established in 2004 with a target of 1,200 members to be fully operational. However, the figures show it reached its maximum level in 2008 with 1,101 members without attaining its recommended complement.

The figures show:

* The number of officers attached to a special traffic division in Dublin is down from a peak of 156 to 137;

* The number of gardaí assigned to the Garda Traffic Corps in Cork City has fallen from 55 in 2008 to its current level of 42;

* Numbers in Galway have shrunk from 51 in 2010 to 39 this year;

* The strength of the Garda Traffic Corps in Limerick has remained more stable with 31 serving gardaí — a reduction of just four from its peak five years ago;

* The numbers serving in Waterford have fallen from 31 to 19 over a similar timeframe.

Clare — which emerged with the highest number of road traffic offences per capita in a recent survey by the Irish Examiner — has 18 gardaí currently attached to the Traffic Corps compared to 31 in 2008.

The chairman of the Road Safety Authority, Gay Byrne, recently expressed concern that motorists were breaking traffic laws in greater numbers due to a reduction in enforcement levels. He said he believed bad behaviour by motorists was the direct result of a falling number of gardaí policing traffic legislation.

In addition, a recent survey by AA Ireland showed almost 72% of motorists believed there has been a lower Garda presence on Irish roads over the past year.

AA spokesperson Conor Faughnan said there had been a “worrying slip” in road fatalities in 2013.

There have been 88 deaths on roads in the Republic so far this year — an increase of four on the corresponding period in 2012.

Mr Faughnan said the AA survey had also shown that almost 40% of motorists didn’t think the Government was treating road safety as a priority.

However, the head of the Garda Traffic Corps, Assistant Garda Commissioner Gerard Phillips, said earlier this month that although its numbers had fallen in recent years, such a reduction had no impact on enforcement.

He expressed confidence that the traffic division was working to its full potential with the resources it had been given.