There has been a big fall in the number of Gardai involved in the traffic division in Laois in the last seven years.
According to figures provided by Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan to Fianna Fáil’s Robert Troy, the numbers in the Laois-Offaly traffic corps division have dropped by 40 per cent since 2011.
There were a total of 18 members in the division last year.
The Laois figures are a reflection of the numbers nationally which are down by almost a third to around 640.
In a written answer to Deputy Troy, the Justice Minister says the Government is providing the commissioner with the resources needed to deploy increasing numbers of Gardaí across every division, including roads policing in the coming years.
Charlie Flangan says the commissioner committed in the policing plan for 2017 to increase incrementally the number of personnel dedicated to roads policing by 10 per cent.
A competition to fill vacancies within the traffic corps is said to be ongoing.
SEE ALSO – Tributes paid to Laois man who died tragically in Cork
