The number of Gardaí involved in Donegal Roads Policing Units has dropped by nearly 30% since 2009, the latest figures released from the Department of Justice and An Garda Síochána have shown.
The figures were released in response to a series of parliamentary questions by the Fine Gael TDs Michael Murphy and Emer Currie, and come amid concerns raised by road safety advocacy groups.
The number of overall personnel has decreased from 34 in 2009 to 24 in March of this year – a reduction of ten specialised gardaí policing Donegal roads. The data also shows that Gardaí have 12 roads policing vehicles across Donegal.
Last year, there were a total of ten road fatalities across the county. However, that figure is already at seven following three deaths over a 24-hour period at the weekend.
Caoilan Bushe, 30, from Letterbarrow, near Donegal Town, and Leon Shovlin, 27, originally from Ardara, both died at the scene of a collision on the main Donegal-Ballybofey road on Saturday afternoon. The Funeral Mass for the late Mr Bushe will be held on Wednesday.
Funeral arrangements will be released later for Mr Shovlin.
N15 crash victims, Leon Shovlin of Ardara and Caoilan Bushe of Letterbarrow
On Sunday morning, a young man in his 20s, who is believed to have been from Derry, died following a crash in Inishowen on Saturday night. The man was critically injured in a single-vehicle collision on the R238 at Ardmore, Muff. He later died at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry.
Speaking to Donegal Daily today, Sinn Fein TD Pearse Doherty said Donegal needs a ‘co-ordinated response’ in relation to road safety.
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“I knew the families of some of the victims of the weekend tragedies,” he said, “It’s just heart-breaking and is every parent’s and community’s worst nightmare.”
Reacting to the drop in specialised Roads Policing Units Gardaí in the county, Deputy Doherty said himself and his colleague, Padraig MacLochlainn, had raised the issue in the Dáil last year.
“There has been a significant reduction in numbers of Roads Policing Gardaí in Donegal and the response from Dublin is that every garda has to do road policing as part of their duties,” he said.
“But that’s different from dedicated, specialist Gardaí and something has to be done here. The families of the victims of all road traffic incidents need our support, but that support needs to be a whole-county support. Whether it’s Donegal County Council or other agencies coming together over a period of time, we need a coordinated response.”
We have asked Donegal County Council for a response in relation to road safety.