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Garda breathalyser figure discrepancies 'staggering'

Gardaí had recorded almost twice the number of breath tests than had actually taken place
Gardaí had recorded almost twice the number of breath tests than had actually taken place

The Chief Executive of the Road Safety Authority has described the scale of the exaggeration of garda breathalyser test figures as "quite staggering."

Moyagh Murdock said the statistics were a "body blow" to those who have been affected by road deaths and to the confidence in the public's perception of road safety enforcement by gardaí.

It was revealed last Thursday that from 2011 to 2016 the number of drink-driving tests gardaí claimed to have carried out was hugely exaggerated, by over 937,000.

It was also disclosed that more than 14,500 people who were convicted for road traffic offences are to have their convictions quashed because they were prosecuted incorrectly without a fixed-charge notice first being issued.

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Ms Murdock said she has spoken to Assistant Commissioner Michael Finn and hopes to meet him today.

She added that she was "waiting with interest" to hear what is going to be done about this.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has restated that he retains confidence in Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan

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The Chairperson of Irish Road Victims' Association has meanwhile said she is shocked at the revelations, adding that trust in the gardaí, in enforcing road traffic law, has been "shattered".

Donna Price, whose son Darren was killed on the roads more than 10 years ago, said deaths and injuries on the road are not incurable diseases and are totally preventable.

Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, she said enforcement was absolutely crucial.

Resources were stretched, she said but that did not excuse falsifying figures.

"If we need more resources then we have to put them in place because this is much too serious an issue.

"We're talking about real lives and real families here. If there is no enforcement then we'll continue to have the dangerous drivers. We'll continue to have people taking chances with their lives and other people's lives. They'll drive and drive, they'll text and drive because there's little likelihood of being caught."