Claims by a garda that officers are falsely recording checkpoints after doing breathalyser tests themselves are set to be put to the Justice Minister.
Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy says bombshell allegations about the force’s Roads Policing Unit by the serving cop, first revealed by The Irish Mirror yesterday, are "very concerning" for the force.
We published the garda’s concerns on the alleged culture of laziness and carelessness in the unit yesterday, in which the member claims to have been intimidated over their proactive role.
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The letter further claims that gardai were told to carry out drink-driving checkpoints, which were never done.
It also alleges officers are actually breathalysing themselves before recording it as a checkpoint.
Kildare North politician Ms Murphy has urged the Policing Authority to raise the matter with Garda Commissioner Drew Harris at their meeting which is scheduled for next week while she also plans to quiz Justice Minister Helen McEntee.
Ms Murphy told the Irish Mirror: "This is definitely something the Policing Authority should be pressing the Garda Commissioner on and I’ll certainly be raising it with the Minister for Justice.
"Clearly it’s very concerning.
"I thought we had been through all of this in relation to the testing at the side of the road. And I am really taken aback by it.
"The whole idea of sampling people on the side of the road is to make the roads safe.
"If those tests are not happening, well then, it’s a very serious issue for the Garda Commissioner."
The officer says he "fell into line" and does as little work as possible nowadays.
But the member claimed it’s still more than many others who only issue a couple of tickets a month.
Ms Murphy told us: "I’m just wondering what controls were put in place and are in place after the last time there were issues around testing at the side of the road.
"I would like to hear what the Commissioner has to say on all of that, what controls are in place.
"Because you then start seeing this show up in crime statistics that there would be a significant fall which may not be a fall at all if the testing is not being done.
"It shouldn’t come down to an individual writing a letter with concerns.
"There should be sufficient controls in place to ensure that this doesn’t happen."
In a statement from the Policing Authority, a spokeswoman told The Irish Mirror: "Since its establishment, the Authority has had regular in-depth engagement with the Garda Siochana on matters pertaining to roads policing, including on wider organisational themes pertaining to matters of governance and performance management.
"These matters continue to be subject to engagement with the Commissioner and his colleagues and will be discussed at next week’s meeting of the Authority with the Commissioner."
A garda spokesman confirmed that the force is aware of "anonymous correspondence."
A spokesman added: "An Garda Siochana does not comment on anonymised correspondence.
"However this office can confirm that internal confidential correspondence has been circulated from Garda Headquarters to all Regional Assistant Commissioners and also Assistant Commissioner responsible for Roads Policing."
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