Space shortage for seized vehicles deplored

A shortage of storage space for seized vehicles has resulted in some gardaí being encouraged not to impound dangerous cars, it has emerged.

Sgt Iggy Larkin yesterday told the annual conference of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) that when he worked in the Donegal traffic corps a Garda initiative was established in 2004 targeted at young drivers in a bid to reduce fatalities on the roads.

Around 140 dangerous or uninsured vehicles were seized. But after six weeks members were encouraged not to seize any more cars because there was nowhere to store them. This was during a year in which 30 people were killed on the roads of Donegal.

Many of those killed were young people driving very fast cars, so-called "boy racers". Twenty of those killed that year in Donegal were under 25.

Sgt Larkin called for the outsourcing of vehicle storage facilities, away from Garda stations, so that large numbers of dangerous and uninsured cars could be seized.

"Station yards by their nature were never constructed to store such cars," he said.

Cars were simply left in station yards for long periods before finally being disposed of. Outsourcing was needed "urgently".

Sgt Eric Boyle of the Cavan-Monaghan division backed the calls for more storage space.

He said very large vehicles used in construction and farming were often a hazard and needed to be seized. However, these would not fit into small station yards.

Sgt Pat Joe McCarthy, Dublin south central, said more motorists than ever were driving while under the influence of drink and drugs.

He called for laws governing such behaviour to be updated. There was no specific offence for "drug-driving". This was unacceptable.

Laws governing intoxication, public order and licensing were in some cases nearly 100 years old. A number of legislative provisions needed to be overhauled.

Sgt David Forde, also from the Cavan-Monaghan division, told delegates that prisoner accommodation in Garda stations needed to be significantly improved.

In some cases up to 12 prisoners, many drunk, were housed in a cell built for one. This situation was unhealthy and led to violence.

"The first man in gets

the only bed in the cell," he said. "He falls asleep quickly. Then the next man in, he is not in good humourand does not like the bed and breakfast. . . .

"He wants the bed and a row starts, resulting in an assault." Sgt Forde said if the situation did not improve, gardaí might be forced to take the issue to the European Commission on Human Rights.