Dáil Éireann - Volume 614 - 14 February, 2006

Written Answers. - Garda Deployment.

  496. Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of accidents, injuries and fatalities for the year 2004; the number of Garda speed traps in the year 2004; the cost of providing these speed traps and the revenue generated from penalty points and convictions arising out of said speed traps on the Stillorgan Road. [4967/06]

  Mr. McDowell: There were 33 material damage, eight non-serious injury, three serious injury and no fatal traffic collisions on the Stillorgan Road in the year 2004. During the same period on the Stillorgan Road, 71 speed operations were conducted.

The information requested by the Deputy in respect of the cost of providing, and revenue arising from, the speed checks is not readily available. The amount of time it would take to compile such information would entail the disproportionate use of resources and could not be justified.

  497. Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if all additional gardaí being attached to the traffic corps are newly recruited and trained gardaí from Templemore or if some of them are existing members of the force; if so, the breakdown of the allocation of gardaí since the setting up of the [1357] traffic corps; and the projected breakdown of the allocation for 2006. [4968/06]

  Mr. McDowell: Personnel allocated to the Garda traffic corps are selected from existing available resources in each division. Newly appointed gardaí are not allocated to traffic corps duties following completion of the initial training period. The divisional breakdown of the traffic corps at 31 January 2006 is as follows:

Garda Traffic Corps at 31 January, 2006

Division

Number

Dublin Metropolitan Region South Central

21

Dublin Metropolitan Region North Central

16

Dublin Metropolitan Region North

17

Dublin Metropolitan Region East

17

Dublin Metropolitan Region South

18

Dublin Metropolitan RegionWest

18

Dublin Metropolitan Region Traffic Unit

138

Waterford/Kilkenny

16

Wexford/Wicklow

16

Tipperary

13

Cork City

24

Cork North

14

Cork West

15

Kerry

14

Limerick

18

Donegal

22

Cavan/Monaghan

16

Sligo/Leitrim

15

Clare

13

Mayo

16

Galway

23

Roscommon/Galway East

16

Longford/Westmeath

14

Louth/Meath

28

Carlow/Kildare

21

Laois/Offaly

15

Total

574

While the members of the Garda Síochána assigned to the traffic corps are specifically dedicated to traffic duties, they remain full police officers and, as such, retain the general responsibility for preventing and detecting crime which all members of the Garda Síochána have. Similarly members of the Garda Síochána not members of the traffic corps have the responsibility, inter alia, to deal with traffic duties when breaches of road traffic law occur. Gardaí spend two years training at the Garda college. The focus of such training is on all areas of policing. Garda management will not allow a situation to arise where the establishment of the traffic corps would lead to the gardaí who are members of it having no regard to other [1358] policing duties regardless of seriousness if and when they arise in the course of carrying out their duty, and similarly gardaí who are not members not having regard to traffic policing duties. The allocation of Garda resources, including personnel, is the responsibility of the Garda Commissioner.