Extra 150 gardaí to be added to road policing units

Currently, there are 623 gardaí assigned to the road policing unit. Picture: Dan Linehan

The Garda Commissioner has said that 150 members of the force will be added to the road policing units in the next two years in order to meet road safety targets.

Drew Harris also repeated a target to have an additional 100 static road safety cameras in place by the end of next year. 

Mr Harris made the remarks before the Oireachtas transport committee on Wednesday, and did not rule out further additions in future years.

Currently, there are 623 gardaí assigned to the road policing unit — with Mr Harris saying that he was hopeful that the number would increase to 700 this year.

“We have a block of over 600 gardaí, there’s always flux in terms of movement.

“But what we believe is that we (with the 75) will see actual growth in this year in their numbers, and then that’s also the commitment that we've made into 2025.

“So in effect, we've committed to 150 appointments.” 

Mr Harris, who was making his first appearance before the Transport Committee since becoming Commissioner, was questioned by deputies and senators about what measures were going to be put in place by An Garda Siochána to try and reverse the ‘worrying’ trends so far this year.

The number of people killed on Irish roads so far in 2024 is 72—  an 18% on the figures for the same period last year.

He noted: “Less speed means that collisions are less severe in any case, perhaps then more survivable."

He noted that the number of serious injury collisions has diminished since 2018 which, he said, puts us in the "strange position of fewer serious injuries but more fatalities".

"And I think that is a consequence of speed," he said. 

Speed cameras

Deputy Commissioner Paula Hilman confirmed that a business plan had been put in place to introduce 100 extra speed cameras in locations around the country.

Two weeks ago, the force confirmed that nine new static cameras had been commissioned and were expected to be in place by the end of 2024 — including on the N22 in Lissarda.

As of today, there are only two static road safety cameras on Irish roads —one in the Port Tunnel in Dublin and the other on the N7.

Ms Hilman noted: “If we slow people down. We will save lives. Three new average speed cameras are being put on the N5 at Swinford, the N3 at Cootehill, and the N2 at Slane. They’re going to go live in Q3 of this year, hopefully in September."

Mr Harris agreed with Senator Gerry Horkan that there was an issue with people driving in bus lanes and breaking red lights – and that cameras could be the way forward there too.

He explained: “I do genuinely think that should be dealt with in part by automated enforcement and not as done that would be camera enforcement as well.” 

Ms Hilman confirmed that Irish Rail had approached the force to pilot cameras for speeding and breach of lights across railway crossings.

Approximately 10,000 vehicles have been seized by the gardaí so far this year, with an estimated 6,500 vehicles on the roads without valid car insurance.

Mr Harris also noted that statistics had shown that the evening rush hour period was “as dangerous, if not more so than weekends” when it comes to fatal collisions.