Call for 'more robust' roads policing in Donegal

There has been a call for a more 'robust' approach to roads policing in Donegal.

Councillor Gerry McMonagle, the Chairperson of the Donegal Joint Policing Committee, was speaking at the latest meeting of the body at County House in Lifford.

He asked the meeting if there are any plans to increase roads policing in the county and when that might happen.

"It is alarming the amount of people being killed or injured on our roads,” Councillor McMonagle said.

“For every one driver that is stopped more are getting away with it.

"We need to try and send the message out there that if you speed or break the laws of the road you will be caught. The GoSafe vans are not deterring people.

"I think we need a more robust approach.”

Garda Chief Superintendent Goretti Sheridan that Gardai as an organisation are looking at roads policing and how they can improve it including recruiting more resources to it.

She admitted that there is only a limited amount of resources they have at their disposal and still had the issue of manning Garda stations, the drugs problem and everyday policing.

"If we have more resources we will do that but we have to look at the county as a whole," she said.

Councillor McGonagle responded by saying that the Government needed to respond by putting their money where their mouth is.

He said: "This is especially true in rural Ireland where we have been fighting for years for these resources.

"The population of the county will nearly double in the next few months with visitors. It annoys us as elected members that we only got two probationers (Gardai) and that says a lot.

"I have said from the outset that Gardai are under pressure and I do think that the detection rate and community engagement in Donegal is quite good.

"Gardai need our support more than ever now but the Government needs to support them too by giving them the resources they need."