Just 23 new roads policing Gardaí were appointed last year, despite a promise for 75 new members.

Last year, the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris appeared before a Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport where at the time, he was questioned about the rising number of road deaths.

184 people died on the roads in 2023, which was an increase of 29 from the year before, however, in 2024 that number came down to 174 - but An Garda Síochána and the Road Safety Authority said that’s still too high.

Pre-Covid in 2019, the number of people killed on Irish roads was 146.

In front of that committee last year, Commissioner Harris said he intended to add 75 Gardaí to roads policing in 2024 and a further 75 in 2025.

Despite this, the Garda Press Office confirmed to Newstalk that just 23 people went into roads policing units last year.

Gardai at the scene of a road crash at the Ballynacarry Bridge on the N53, Co Monaghan. December 1, 2022. Image: Liam McBurney/Alamy

These Gardaí were all added to roads policing in the second half of 2024.

Now their commitment has changed, and they have said the aim is still to have 150 additional members by the end of this year.

The most up to date figures for the number of Gardaí in the Roads Policing Unit is 620.

Its peak was around 1,046 in 2009.

There have been a number of groups campaigning for more Gardaí to be present on the roads to crack down on bad behaviour - groups such as PARC Road Safety Group and the Irish Road Victims Association.

Emergency workers at the scene of a school bus crash on the Ballyblack Road East near Carrowdore in Co Down, 7-10-24. Image: PA Images / Alamy

The IRVA’s Leo Leghio lost his daughter Marsia in a road incident.

He has said the promise of 150 new Roads Policing Gardaí won’t be enough.

“You can walk down the street and ask any person you want, even they'll tell you that there's not enough guards on the road - they're not being seen,” Mr Leghio said.

“You can go all day without seeing a guard, which would be great in a law abiding society, but we don't have that.”

“150 [extra road policing Gardaí] is not enough, but it's something… and get them out there as fast as you can please.

“I don't hold the guards responsible for this, they're not getting the funding that they need, but just please do the best you can.”

Gardaí at the site of a serious crash, 17-7-24. Image: Leah Farrell / © RollingNews.ie

Mr Leghio said he finds it hard to criticise the Gardaí when he sees the Government isn’t willing to spend the money on this issue.

“Start forking out the money, investing the technology - we're talking about 180 people's lives being lost and multiply that by six or seven numbers seriously injured, life changing injuries,” he said.

“Surely the money you spend will be well served and well saved if it's only money you're interested in.

“They need to get their acts together, for the love of God, for the sake of the innocent people out there, innocent road users.

“I don't want to see this happening to another one of my children, or anybody else's child.”

A blue tent is erected around the crash site on the Coast Road in Baldoyle, Dublin, 17-07-2024. Image: Supplied

Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan wasn’t available to speak to Newstalk on this matter, and neither was his Junior Minister Niall Collins.

However, statements have been received from both the Department of Justice and from the Garda Press Office.

Gardaí have said that competitions for the Roads Policing Unit took place in three Garda regions and panels are now in place across the country with transfers into the unit expected to happen this year.

The organisation also said that in the first four months of last year, while media commentary suggested that road deaths would pass over 200, that trend was stopped.

Main image is a file photo of Gardaí at the scene of a road crash. Image: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews

In 2024, 68% of drink or drug driving incidents, 63% of all vehicles seized and 75% of all checkpoints were carried out by non-roads policing Gardaí.

The organisation also pointed to the direction that all members of the regular unit must do at least 30 minutes of roads policing duties a day.

It also pointed out that during Covid, the force wasn’t able to recruit as many people as it wanted to, and the percentage of Roads Policing members remains higher than most units.

While the figures Newstalk has received were for last year, it is alleged from members of the Gardaí that so far this year it seems no one has gone into the roads policing unit yet.

Almost all of the 23 Gardaí that did go into roads policing went into units in Dublin.

Gardaí ivestigating a serious road crash as the coast road in Baldoyle, north Dublin, is closed. 17.07.2024 Photo: Sam Boal Collins Photos

While it may have been an operational necessity, Sinn Féin’s Justice Spokesperson Matt Carthy said it is obvious that more road incidents take place in rural areas.

“I'm never going to point to a region and say that they don't deserve or additional resources aren't warranted, but we know where accidents happen more likely and they're much more likely to happen in rural areas where the road the road conditions are poor - that's just a matter of fact,” he said.

“I understand the challenges that Gardaí management have in the sense that, as I say, we don't have enough members of the force.

“If we're serious about reducing the number of collisions, and particularly the number of fatalities on a road, then we need a holistic approach, so that needs to be driven by policy at a central level.

“It needs to be driven by Government in terms of road conditions and ensuring that the Gardaí have the resources that they need.”

So far in 2025, road deaths stand at 24.

It comes as speed limits on local rural roads were reduced in February from 80km an hour to 60km.

Garda Christmas Road Safety Campaign on the Athgarvan Road in Newbridge, County Kildare. Photo: Eamonn Farrell/© RollingNews.ie