Traffic corps may interfere with intelligence-gathering, say gardai

The Garda has expressed concern that plans for a new traffic corps may interfere with intelligence-gathering, it has emerged.

The proposals being discussed by the Government would aim to free up gardaí, who currently spend a large number of hours processing sometimes minor traffic violations.

This may include serving summonses, attending court and following up with a call to a motorist's home to secure payment of fines for convictions.

Now the Government is looking into the prospect of establishing a dedicated traffic corps, not necessarily made up of members of the Garda, to handle such offences.

However, the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, said opposition to the proposals had come from gardaí. "The gardaí said they gather an awful lot of information on criminal activity from their roadblocks. They don't want to lose the ability to do that," he said.

Mr Brennan said gardaí also made the point that they have wide powers to search, question and act as customs officers where they suspect that a crime has taken place. A traffic corps without those powers could mean crimes going undetected.

The Minister said the objection did not mean the plan was shelved, but there may be scope to allow the gardaí to continue in their traffic role with some civilian back-up.