Madam, - When driving from Rosslare to Dublin on Tuesday, it took one hour to get through Gorey at lunchtime, a distance of about one mile. This delay wasn't the result of road works or an accident; it was just an everyday experience in this particular town.
I didn't see a single garda in that hour. It would not be surprising if many motorists subsequently speeded in an effort to make up for lost time. The delay is also unlikely to have improved tempers or road manners.
Does members of the much heralded Garda Traffic Corps have any responsibility for ensuring that traffic flows as smoothly as possible - or are they just there to catch us when we break the law? Why is it that you almost never see a garda on point duty, unless there's some politician or visiting dignitary being whisked through the traffic, while the rest of us are delayed in the national interest.
We have been reminded in recent months that gardaí spend two years learning their trade in Templemore. Do they now consider themselves over-qualified for point duty, or do they need to spend even longer in training school? It could be that organised crime is very active in Gorey, consuming all available Garda resources, but I doubt it.
Perhaps reservists will help to sort out the problem. - Yours, etc,
PETER MOLLOY, Haddington Park, Glenageary, Co Dublin.