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AN GARDA SÍOCHÁNA has spent more than €80,000 so far this year on taxis to transport people who are in garda custody.
In response to questions from Fianna Fáil’s justice spokesperson Niall Collins, Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald revealed €227,873 was spent by the force last year on taxis.
She said people are transported to prison in garda vehicles by officers as part of their routine duty.
The use of other methods of conveyance, ie taxis, “where deemed operationally expedient by the Commissioner”, cost €244,711 in 2012 and €208,047 in 2013.
Sources told TheJournal.ie that the use of taxis is often a resourcing issue. Regulations state that there should be two gardaí for every one prisoner in a vehicle. This excludes the garda who is driving, unless the person in custody is being transported in a vehicle that has a built-in cell to separate them. Using a taxi means two officers would be required, rather than three.
“Official transport is to be used where a prisoner is dangerous or likely to attempt to escape,” one garda explained. “In other words a taxi wouldn’t be used as the driver would be exposed to danger, but a car or minibus could be hired and a garda driver used.”
Taxis are normally used for escorting people accused of minor crimes when a garda vehicle is not available.
“It’s crazy really, as most are being transported to prison on penal warrants and a taxi probably costs more than a fine,” another source said. “And most of the time they get released almost immediately.”
In February this year, the Irish Examiner reported the case of a single mother from Donegal who was taken from her home all the way to Dublin in a taxi by gardaí for not paying the full fine on her TV licence. She spent three hours in the Dóchas centre women’s prison before being given a voucher to make her way back to Donegal.
In her response, the Minister said a breakdown of costs of transporting people to prison for the non-payment of fines is not readily available and would require an inordinate amount of administrative resources to obtain.
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Why is the Journal.ie closing the comments section on so many articles, as it’s making it close to not worth while reading it.
@Owen Mc: Agreed, my own position is straight forward…no comments no read.
@Owen Mc: The Journal doesn’t encourage any discussion. Just vote on the daily polls about silly subjects.
@Owen Mc: Glad they have closed it down. One less outlet for headcases.
@Wallace Mooney: That word is offensive. Use muppets instead.
@Owen Mc: My sentiments exactly.
@Owen Mc: they close the comments section as some tend to hijack the comments and post things that are off topic I.e refugees Isreal Gaza Iran US UK etc etc so until such a time as children learn to behave they can have their toys back.
@Owen Mc: for some articles such as open criminal cases, I can accept no comments. However, for divisive topics, it is becoming more than a little craven on their TheJournals part. I sent them an email, raising the issue constructive but received no response. I think there’s an opportunity for another news site to set up something similar where the public are far less muzzled.
@Injustice Cop: I’m sure they had a good laugh at your email.
People yesterday saying these absolute warnings are fear mongering! It’s not fear mongering, it was and is necessary warnings as the weather out there is lethal. I can see it with my own eyes, also took a smack of a metal door trying to get the wheelie bins in (ouch). Seriously, the comments from yesterday, saying governments are trying to keep us scared with weather warnings etc, that’s the fear mongering right there!!!!
Stay safe everyone, batten down the hatches!
@keith fay: same crowd will be out later/tomorrow banning on about how it wasn’t that bad and sure we always got storms…. oh ”records” showing that these storms are getting more intense and more frequent. Totally made up by the government.
@Ross: exactly, or saying ‘in my day we called that winter’ or something, so annoying
@William Slevin: we’re talking about people calling weather warnings ‘fear mongering’ when they’re just valuable weather warnings that serve a purpose
@William Slevin: met eireann issue a weather warning, news outlets report that warning. How on earth is that fear mongering. Reporting the news is not fear mongering, it’s reporting the news.
@William Slevin: oh dear, a full blown tin foil hat conspiracy nut. How long before you start talking about the ‘narrative’ lol
@keith fay: you are for it now Keith, you have drawn the William on you. Check out my interaction with him below, more fool me for responding to him.
Donegal has red warning, but Tyrone and Derry have amber warning. Must be handy to just cross the border until storm is over.
@Patrick MC Dermott: Perhaps the whole globe can be included in the red warning thus ensuring that nobody feels left out.
@Patrick MC Dermott: Where should the line be drawn??
@Sean O’Dhubhghaill: Around Tullaghan, would be a good spot
Why is that dude wearing a crop top?
@Tom O: You shouldn’t be assuming that dude’s gender in this day and age. Cop on to yourself!
Would journos at the Journal please stop using the phrase “kick in”? There are lots of other, less crude ways to transmit the same piece of information.
@Max: Force entry?
@Max: “journo” is a slang word from england. Only pointing it out because we know how offended you get by English words
@biggybald: Trespass?
Proper Mother-In-Law weather as it’s know down here..
Fair windy lads
@BaldwinIV: Oh my sweet lord – have we seriously reached that level of non-intellect. Vote no to a constitutional referendum on the place of a woman in the home because migrants…
You have to be taking the Michael because it’s not possible to be that dim.
Them two boy’s look like they’re surveying the damage after crashing their time machine.
His own bomb lol
Save the clock tower!
Hopefully it will be nice and sunny when it passes over tomorrow
Looks like Andrew Porter in the photo facing into a scrum with that clock
Got windy here in Galway… it’s blowing over now….
The Ronnie onslaught is happening again!
@William Slevin: ah, the bigot has another account
@Denis Ryan: Anyone need the lotto numbers, my prediction skills are off the hook.
@ establishment loyalist fascist Dennis Ryan:
Easy to predict when as usual your part of the same harresment campaign against that has been noted by other users on here…
@ establishment loyalist fascist Dennis Ryan: What sexual references would these be dennis, that fact I called out Brian on his degeneracy where he keeps going after other users repeatingly saying trump fancys his own daughter and says worse…or is that I called out robert weaponising homosexuality an entire group of peoples sexuality to make attacks against ron de santi…your a complete dishonest joke now…and you are becoming liably dangerous making such implications about sexual references…
You crossed the line in lying in such a serious way dennis…
@William Slevin: lol the ghost is back but for how long. Never reported any of your interactions with me, I’m a big boy and choose to reply. Different story when you insult other people though. I’ll soon be talking to myself again ;)
@William Slevin: you were banned but back you came. Only one habitual line crosser here. Awfully concerned about people in the middle East but only if they stay over there, I see you are banging on about immigration again on an article about cancelled flight. Reminds me of the Simpsons “old man shouts at clouds”
@Injustice Cop: What ‘opportunity’ is there for a news outlet to allow all the conspiracy nuts, racists and general loolaa’s to have a free for all in the comments section?
Nobody will want to advertise to that demographic (look at the losses X is making) – there’s no opportunity’
The real problem you lads have is that you are convinced that what you have to say is so important that the world is dying to hear ‘the real trutch’ – the reality is that it’s all utter nonsense and nobody is interested.
That Felicity McKenna, I like the cut of his jib!
Lucky no one was clocked……
have your say