Lack of winter tyres led to use of private 4x4

MOTION ON VEHICLES:GARDAÍ IN Donegal were forced to use a member's private 4x4 vehicle to access an alleged rape victim during the heavy snows last winter.

Sgt Paul Wallace, from Letterkenny Garda station, revealed gardaí were unable to use their own vehicles because they were not equipped with winter tyres.

He also described as “ludicrous” a situation that arose on Meenaroy Mountain during the heavy snows where Donegal Mountain Rescue was forced to do traffic duty because gardaí allocated to the role were stranded.

Gardaí needed a farmer to take them there in his own 4x4.

Sgt Wallace said the provision of winter tyres for the Garda fleet of 4x4s was “just basic stuff”. There are 110 of the vehicles in the Garda fleet.

Last winter Garda cars were fitted with “snow socks” which fit over ordinary tyres.

He said these were only suitable in conditions of falling snow and were no use where there was hard, compacted ice and snow.

Several divisions sponsored a motion at the conference calling for the Garda commissioner to ensure vehicles were equipped with 4x4 capability for winter conditions.

Sgt Wallace said they had consulted with the PSNI, which had fitted its vehicles with winter tyres and had not experienced the same problems.

In response, the head of the transport section Joe Ainsworth said it was not possible within existing budgets to provide vehicles for one-off extreme conditions, but if an operational need was identified each case would be considered on its merits.