Reconfiguration of Garda resources sees residents in Oldcastle area over 40 miles from nearest road traffic policing unit
Serious concerns have been expressed at recent changes in roads policing and frontline Garda resources in the Meath–Westmeath Division, with residents of the Oldcastle area pointing out they are now almost 50 miles from the nearest road traffic policing unit.
Recent announcements of additional garda allocations to some of Meath’s bigger towns have also been questioned amid claims that those appointments came at the expense of smaller stations.
In particular, the disbandment of the Delvin Roads Policing Unit has been described as a regressive step—particularly when rural communities continue to call for stronger roads policing and Garda visibility.
Residents of Oldcastle in particular are concerned that the nearest unit to them is now 42 miles away in Dunshaughlin or 68 miles away in Moate. The Delvin unit was just 20 miles away.
One soure told the Meath Chronicle: “Despite its limited numbers, the Delvin unit made a substantial contribution to road safety. In just its first two years in operation, it removed over 150 intoxicated drivers from our roads. It also played a vital role in detecting uninsured and dangerous driving, while serving as a visible deterrent in high-risk areas.”
Deputy Johnny Guirke said the disbandment of the Delvin Unit cannot be good for road safety. “They moved it to Moate, so now the nearest one to Oldcastle and that part of north Meath is nearly 50 miles away in Dunshaughlin. My concern is that gardai are being moved around, usually to bigger station from the more rural areas, which is leaving rural communities exposed.”
Deputy Guirke said the main problem is we do not have enough Gardai in Meath.
“There is one garda for every 700 people in Meath, compared to one for every 334 in Waterford. Meath has the lowest number of gardai per head of population in the country. “Ballivor had two Gardai years ago, but now, despite a huge increase in population with new estates, there are no Ballivor based gardai.
“There is also a big difference in the number of garda and the number of operational gardai in any station,” he said. “When they tell us how many gardai are assigned to a particular station they don't mention how many are on sick leave, or maternity leave or are out for some other reason.
“The lack of gardai is exposing rural Ireland to crime and to dangerous roads.”
Deputy Guirke believes recent statements about increased in Garda numbers in Enfield, Trim, and Summerhill do not give the full picture, as the additional gardai in those areas were reassigned from existing regular units—specifically Dunboyne, Ashbourne, and Dunshaughlin.
A source familiar with the matter said that he had been informed on the Saturday night of the 2025 St Patrick’s Day Bank Holiday weekend there was only one Garda assigned to roads policing on duty for the entire Meath–Westmeath Division.
He also said that the Meath Roads Policing Unit has just five operational members on front-line duty. Several others have retired, transferred, or left the role, but still remain listed under Roads Policing on paper—contributing to inaccurate reporting of available resources.
“This is not only unsustainable but extremely unsafe. It places an unfair burden on individual members and represents a serious risk to public safety. That this occurred on a night of such high national visibility underscores the severity of the resourcing crisis,” he said.
A spokesperson for an Garda Síochána said the Gardai do not comment on the operational deployment of specific unit, but confirmed that Moate and Dunshaughlin Garda Stations serve as the main operational hubs for Roads Policing Units across Meath/ Westmeath Garda Division
“The allocation of resources, including Roads Policing Units, is managed to ensure effective policing and public safety and is kept under constant review by local and senior Garda management,” he said.
“Roads Policing duties are mobile and flexible, with Gardaí dispatched based on priority rather than station location. Traffic operations—focused on speeding, dangerous driving and vehicle compliance—are data-led and informed by collision statistics and community feedback.
“Garda mobility devices, which are provided to every member of An Garda Síochána, contain an array of roads policing apps, which means that Roads Policing Units do not require to return to a Garda station for the majority of work carried out in their tour of duty.”
These apps allows members of An Garda Síochána to issue FCNs easily, quickly and effectively while on patrol and in 2024 over 159,000 FCNs were issued on mobility devices.
The devices also have apps that provide information on disqualified drivers, uninsured vehicles and can scan registration plates of vehicles on a checkpoint or on the roadside providing real-time information on the vehicle.
Many Roads Policing vehicles are also equipped with SMART Roads Policing ICT, including ANPR systems.
The spokesperson pointed out that all Garda members contribute to road safety, including a division-wide commitment to 30 minutes of traffic enforcement per shift.