Garda pursuit training under review by Oireachtas Committee

The Oireachtas Transport Committee has scrutinized Garda pursuit training and roads policing following high-profile incidents, including a fatal head-on collision on the M9 motorway in Co Kildare. The committee examined how high-risk vehicle pursuits are authorized and managed, focusing on the balance between apprehending offenders and ensuring public safety.

Assistant Commissioner Denis Ferry stated that while the Gardaí have 4,500 members trained to respond to calls using lights and sirens, no members are currently specifically trained in pursuits. However, the force is working with English police forces, specifically Devon and Cornwall Police, to train driving instructors. Chief Superintendent Brian Sugrue noted that the number of trained instructors is expected to reach single figures by the end of the year, with hopes that further interaction with other UK police forces will increase that number.

Road safety statistics presented to the committee revealed that 141 lives have been lost on Irish roads so far this year, with over 1,000 serious injuries reported. Officials emphasized that vehicles traveling against the flow of traffic pose a catastrophic risk and that the priority is to prevent pursuits from developing or to end them as safely as possible using tactics such as stingers and air support.