Drug driving and speeding major concern at Dunmore garda meeting

After a long hiatus, there was a strong turnout of local gardaí, councillors and members of the public for the Dunmore East Community Alert Meeting last week in the Fisherman's Hall, Dunmore East. 

Presentations were given by Sgt Pat Kelly, Garda Simon Powderly, Margaret Quinn from Muintir Na Tire and Crime Prevention Officer Sgt Deirdre O'Neill.

Speakers on the night discussed key issues facing the community, including parking offences, speeding and an increase in drug driving. Also discussed were ways the community can engage with gardaí through text alert and reporting suspicious behaviour.

With regards to parking issues, tourists parking on rural cliff roads, blocking emergency vehicles was discussed. One recent incident in the area was cited, whereby an ambulance was delayed for 40 minutes due to cars parked on narrow rural roads.

Garda Simon Powderly outlined particularly dangerous incidents of parking in the village, saying there is a "tonne of such offences", especially in the summer months.

Speeding in the area was also discussed.

The approach to the national school from Killea was outlined as an area of concern for speeding. 

Gardai also discussed practical issues with using speed guns on winding roads in rural Dunmore East. Local Cllr Stephanie Keating said, “Speeding is an issue that I get so many calls about, it’s absolutely crazy.” 

The rising problem of drug use across the county was a significant issue raised.

Sgt Deirdre O’Neill commented, “Over the last while after Covid we’ve seen a rise in burglaries, and a rise in break-ins to cars, and unfortunately we have a significant issue with drugs throughout all of the county.” 

Cllr Jim Griffin added that people doing loop walks in Dunmore East can regularly smell cannabis.

Sgt Kelly said, “We have a large increase in the amount of drug detections on roads. It's good that we’re detecting, and bad that it’s so prevalent. More people are arrested for drug driving than drink driving.” 

In light of the upcoming Garda Youth Awards, one particular young man from Waterford was praised for his efforts in reporting a missing person, with Sgt Kelly saying: "She wouldn’t have survived without his interaction with us."

Further issues raised included noise in the village, whilst Cllr Jim Griffin raised issues regarding scrambling in the area, which he says has been greatly reduced in recent times due to proactive measures by gardaí. 

Cllr Jim Griffin spoke further to the Waterford News & Star after the meeting, saying: “These kinds of meetings go on in all communities, villages and rural areas. For myself coming tonight, I thought I was very much aware of what’s happening in our parish, but this was another learning experience for me and I got a lot from the meeting. Our crime prevention officer and our two gardaí that turned up tonight, they couldn’t have been more helpful.” 

He added, “One clear message I got tonight, and everyone in the room got, is that the gardaí are here to help us, and they identified issues in the area, some of them serious, and they really emphasised that they’re here to help and here for the people in the community, and we shouldn’t be afraid to go to them.

“It’s not like the old style policing of the past where they want to send you a ticket, or get someone in court straight away, nowadays they are here to help us as much as possible. That’s the biggest takeaway I got from tonight, and I thought they were excellent."

Cllr Griffin also discussed the problem of speeding and drug driving in the area, saying: “I had many people who couldn’t make it tonight, and they were asking me to bring up drug testing on the roads and drug driving in particular.

“Another key issue is speeding. I asked can the gardaí tie back into the local authority when they identify an area as high risk for speeding on a regular basis."