Clearly we need more gardaí, so I'm thinking of joining the Garda Reserve, writes Niall Doyle
Okay, is there anybody out there who still needs persuading that a high profile Garda presence increases road safety? Don't take my word for it, every national and international expert has commented on our inadequate levels of visible enforcement.
The latest public survey conducted by Lansdowne on behalf of the Irish Insurance Federation reveals that approximately half the motoring public believe that it is unlikely they would be caught drink-driving or speeding.
In the same survey 76 per cent of you said the most effective measure to improve road safety was better enforcement of road traffic law. The people have spoken. Listen to them. In fairness, Minister for Justice Michael McDowell is currently doubling the numbers assigned to the traffic corps. At least he's listening.
And yet there are still those who continually revert to the "personal responsibility" argument, which is fundamentally true but - in downplaying Garda enforcement - puts the responsibility for increasing fatalities on drivers alone.
This is at best to engage in political expediency and at worst the avoidance of responsibility. If the answer to criminality is to exhort citizens to take more personal responsibility for their actions, why do we need a police force at all? What we need is a cultural change and we won't get that simply by asking people to be responsible.
In memory of the 3,500 lives lost over the last nine years, and if we are serious about reducing that number over the next nine years, we must, for the greater good, force people to be responsible.
Following enactment of the new Road Traffic Bill, gardaí are no longer hindered by limited legislation in doing their part to make our roads safer. For example, gardaí will no longer have to monitor speeding, as this will be outsourced to a private contractor.
This must free up gardaí to perform the 463,000 random breath tests annually (an increase of approximately 450,000) they promised to carry out in the National Road Safety Strategy.
Crucially, gardaí will no longer have to "form the opinion" that a driver is under the influence of drink (later to be grilled in court by the defendant's solicitor) before they ask him/her to blow in the bag. But the question remains, are there enough of them to make the impact we need, or are they not very good at managing their resources?
The truthful answer is no, there will never be completely adequate resources when there are competing demands, and yes Garda management, with the co-operation of the rank and file, could do a lot to improve the efficiency of their resource utilisation.
A part of my day job for the last four years has been to lobby at every available opportunity for increased Garda enforcement of road traffic law. I represent a vested interest, the motor insurers of Ireland (their shareholders and policyholders) and our interest, put simply, is as follows . . . more gardaí visibly enforcing road traffic law leads to fewer accidents, injuries and fatalities, which in turn leads to lower claims for us and lower premiums for our policyholders.
So the more gardaí the better. I can do nothing to manage the deployment of Garda resources, but I can do something to increase the pool of available resources. I should volunteer for the Garda Reserve.
There is something bigger going on here. Bigger than my job, bigger than the opportunity to lobby during a slow news period, bigger than the obvious logic of the case I've outlined above. I've a busy job, three wonderful but exhausting children under five, I pay my taxes, my wife is a working public servant, and all my spare time and energy are spent with the kids. What I crave most is a long uninterrupted sleep. So why am I serious about doing something that will only lessen the limited "me time" I have?
Many people over many years have worked hard for this country and I'm not just talking about the last 20 years. We are a wealthy, prosperous democracy because of the work and determination of Irish men and women of many generations. Despite the constant whingeing of those who try to persuade us that Ireland is at the bottom of the league in just about everything, that everywhere else is 10 times better than here, and that we are all going to die, the reality is that we are the envy of Europe and we have never had it so good.
Yet I don't believe there is much of a sense of pride in our achievements. Sure, when Shane Horgan scores the winning try in Twickenham it's great to be Irish, but this pride is short-lived.
Perhaps it is simply ingrained in the Irish psyche. "How are you?" "Not bad, could be worse."
Whatever it is that's missing, I feel I need to do something about it. I want our progress as a nation to continue, our sense of community to be revitalised, and our sense of pride to go deeper than a green jersey. And I know that I am partially responsible for making this happen. Perhaps it is something to do with kids, for example it's not just the teacher's job to educate my children; I have a hand in it, too.
I have a responsibility to previous generations to make the best of the opportunities I have been given, to shape the Ireland of today and at least pass it on in good condition to my kids. Sure, I pay plenty of tax and I have a right to expect a good return for this investment, but I must be realistic.
The Government is 15 Ministers supported by a lot of civil and public servants. Occasionally they are entitled to my support. JFK's famous quote is not along the lines of "ask what's the Government going to do about it"; he said: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."
He is suggesting to the people that they too have a responsibility, that it is their country to shape.
I'm sure there are many volunteers, community activists, etc, reading this and saying: "Great, you finally woke up." Apologies for the delay, and lads if you are willing to have me, I'm willing to do my bit. If that means being back at the station answering phones or processing paper, so that one more "real" garda can be out on the street, so be it.
Niall Doyle is corporate affairs manager, Irish Insurance Federation