Donegal’s Garda motorcycle unit is only being used 25% of the time because members have not been properly trained to use the bikes.
The county has two high-powered motorcycles for routine patrols and to attend high profile events such as Ministerial visits and events like the Donegal Motor Rally.
But 75% of the time the bikes are sitting in storage because of a lack of training for local Gardai.
It has also been revealed that local Gardai have applied for this training more than three years ago but have still to begin their course.
The issue was raised by Raphoe-based Garda Sergeant Jim Collins at the Garda’s National Executive Conference in Salthill, Co Galway.
Sgt Collins motion, which was passed unanimously, read “That conference directs the National Executive to call on the Garda Commissioner to reinstate motorcycle training both at standard and advanced level in order to ensure properly trained members are available for efficient policing of local events and general traffic duties.”
Sgt Collins said that with the increase in traffic congestion in all urban areas and the ever increasing demand on Gardai to assist in the policing of event such as charity runs, tractor runs, major events such as the visit of VIP’s like the visit of President Biden that is due next week and annual events such as the Donegal Rally and other such events that require a high level of Gardai to assist in traffic management, the use of motorcycles becomes more and more essential.
He outlined the grave situation in Co Donegal where it appeared that a lack of training meant that the county’s two Garda motorcycles were parked up most of the time.
He said “In the Donegal Division there are two motorcycles and only two members trained to use them. In the current climate where all resources are scarce, this means that in the course of the four units working, these resources can only be deployed for one quarter of the time.
“This is even more upsetting when we discover that members have applied for the standard course over three years ago, and are still waiting.
“This motion is timely with the launch on PULSE last week of the “Bike Safe ” initiative, however, when we look into this, we discover that this requires members who have completed the advance course, and in Donegal, we have only one such person trained.
“In an era where there are a lot of personnel ready to retire, this has accounted for the reduction in Donegal of two motorcyclists, thus halving the capacity, and again at a time when every match that is held in every area be it soccer or GAA, the traffic implications are such that Garda resources have to be deployed to assist in traffic management and two persons in a car, where there is one available, could have two motorcycles with the same levels of manpower but with a much greater agility to negotiate the traffic hazards and issues that Gardai have been employed to assist with in the first place.
“Other duties such as the escorting of long or wide loads such as windmills would also benefit greatly from the availability of motorcycles, and again the benefit of two members on two vehicles as opposed to one vehicle speaks for itself.
“For too long training for new and advanced motorcyclists has been neglected and with the ever ebbing flow of members due to retirement or other reasons, many with motorcycle experience, with no one coming behind to replace them creates the deficit that we now have and which can only be fixed by training more people sooner rather than later.”
