A Sharp Decline In Roads Policing Gardaí, Raises Safety Concerns.

New figures released by the Department of Justice and An Garda Síochána show that the number of Garda members assigned to Roads Policing Units has fallen by almost 40% since 2009. The total number of specialist personnel dropped from 1,046 to 645 by March this year; a reduction of 401 officers dedicated to policing Irish roads.

Dublin experienced some of the steepest declines, with roads policing numbers nearly halving over the period. One Dublin division recorded a 59% drop, leaving just 11 specialist Gardaí and two road policing vehicles covering the area.

Other regions also saw significant reductions, including Sligo/Leitrim, where staffing levels fell from 34 officers to 14. Limerick was the only area to record a slight increase in personnel since 2009.

Road safety advocacy groups described the falling numbers as deeply concerning, warning that reduced enforcement capacity impacts road safety efforts nationwide. Campaigners said roads policing units are struggling due to limited resources and staffing pressures, and believe enforcement on Irish roads has been weakened at a time when offences are increasing. Recent figures show that more than 211,000 vehicles on Irish roads were uninsured or unregistered last year, roughly one in every 15 vehicles nationwide.
Despite Gardaí carrying out over one million vehicle checks during the first three months of 2026, more than 5,000 vehicles were still seized for having no insurance during that short period alone. Thousands of additional summonses were also issued.

In response, An Garda Síochána stated that all Garda members contribute to road traffic enforcement, including those outside dedicated Roads Policing Units. According to the organisation, non-specialist personnel accounted for a majority of DUI detections, vehicle detentions, and checkpoints carried out last year.

The force also said there is no policy aimed at reducing roads policing numbers and noted that more than 80 new members have been assigned to roads policing duties over the past 18 months. However, Garda management acknowledged that staffing increases have not yet delivered the “significant uplift” desired in roads policing capacity