GRA says requirement to carry out 30 minutes of road policing duties is 'PR exercise'

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) has said that the new mandatory 30 minutes of road policing for gardaí everyday is a 'PR stunt'.

The initiative was announced by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris earlier this month based on rising road deaths, with 64 people now dead since the beginning of the year due to fatal collisions on Irish roads.

Despite the growing numbers of fatalities, the GRA has described the new mandatory measure of half an hour of roads policing daily as a 'public relations exercise' and has condemned the commissioner's decision, saying it is creating more unnecessary computer work for gardaí.

Deputy general secretary of the GRA, James Morris-Roe said the new initiative is a "waste of time and resources" and has labelled it a "statistical exercise". The GRA annual conference began this Monday, which Commissioner Harris was not invited to. 

While the half hour roads policing rule is yet to come into affect, it is based on a Swedish model of 20 minutes a day. Commissioner Harris has also promised to increase the number of gardaí in Road Policing Units to an additional 150 over the next two years.