Vol. 520 No. 3
4 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of untrained Garda drivers who are driving with chief superintendents' permission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15407/00]
The position is that members of the Garda Síochana are allowed to drive official vehicles in two circumstances – they hold at least a class B driving licence and have been authorised to drive by the chief superintendent or they have completed an official driving course. The statistical information sought by the Deputy in relation to Garda drivers who are driving with the permission of their chief superintendents has been sought from all Garda divisions.
I have been advised this morning by the Garda authorities that the current information available is that 4,667 members of the Garda Síochána have successfully completed an official driving course. There are also 2,646 members who have the permission of their chief superintendent to drive official vehicles. These members do not drive official vehicles on a full-time basis. The permission only allows members to drive official vehicles on a day to day basis in accordance with the needs of the service.
(Mayo): Does the Minister accept that it grossly irresponsible that 2,646 members of the Garda Síochána are driving vehicles in the course of their duty without any training whatsoever? These gardaí have just an ordinary driving licence. This is a departure from the old practice whereby if a garda wished to drive either an official or unofficial Garda car, one had to go through two courses, an elementary and an advanced course.
We all sympathise with the families of the two young gardaí who died recently in Dublin, both of whom were untrained. Will the Minister accept that it must become the norm that we go back to the old practice where every member of the Garda Síochána driving either an official or unofficial Garda car – one does not know what challenge they will meet or whether they will be called into hot pursuit within a matter of minutes of taking up duty – should be officially trained in the use of a car for Garda purposes while on duty?
The practice has been as I outlined for some considerable time. Divisional officers or chief superintendents have the power at present to authorise a member who is a holder of a class B driving licence to drive official cars and vans, subject to the member being otherwise deemed suitable. I stress this only applies to a car or van. Members who have been issued with a certificate of competency, having completed an appropriate driving course, may also be authorised by divisional officers or chief superintendents to drive official vehicles. The certificate of competency allows a member to drive official vehicles where he or she has completed a course for that particular vehicle.
The Deputy will be aware that the number of gardaí is increasing in line with accelerated recruitment as part of Government policy. In those circumstances, the number of vehicles in the Garda fleet is also increasing. The fact that members who hold a current class B driving licence may, with the permission of their chief superintendents, drive official cars is of considerable assistance to the Commissioner from an operational point of view. It is not practical to do precisely what Deputy Higgins requests. However, courses are available at the Garda College in Templemore and, in so far as these can be made available to people who wish to participate in them, they are. There is an operational question which each chief superintendent must decide for him or herself. To be honest with the Deputy, I am in a position to trust their judgment.
(Mayo): The Minister might be in a position to trust the judgment of the chief superintendents as the people who supplied him with the information. However, it has come to my attention from gardaí that there is much disquiet within the force.
The Deputy should ask a question, not make statements.
(Mayo): Is the Minister aware – he should be if he is in contact with the views of members of the Garda on the ground – that there is a lot of disquiet among members of the Garda at senior level, and among rank and file members, that young gardaí are being asked to take up official duty in dangerous conflict situations? These gardaí may be expected to pursue a car travelling at over 100 m.p.h. Incidentally, the car involved in the unfortunate tragedy to which I referred had 110,000 miles on the clock. Is the Minister aware that there is a lot of disquiet among senior and rank and file gardaí that they are not being provided with adequate training? It is not good enough to say the course is available. The course should be mandatory and compulsory, not just available. Is the Minister in a position to inform the House that he will insist that within a specified period both the elementary and advanced course will be made available to all gardaí on public duty driving vehicles authorised by chief superintendents?
I find it extraordinary that senior members of the Garda Síochána should have gone to Deputy Higgins in this regard. I have been Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform for almost three years and this matter was never raised with me. It is regrettable that there were three tragic fatal accidents involving gardaí on duty in Wexford, east Dublin and west Dublin. In two cases the drivers involved were driving with the authorisation of chief superintendents. In the other instance, the driver had completed successfully a car course. Out of respect for the sensitivities of the families concerned, I do not propose at this stage to go into detail on the accidents.
However, the situation is as I have outlined. From time to time, the chief superintendent of a given division makes a decision to the best of his ability based the information and knowledge available to him. Obviously people are picked from divisions depending on the number of cars available to carry out driving courses in Templemore. It is not feasible at present to provide the kind of training requested by Deputy Higgins, that is, making training available to every member of the force who wishes to obtain it.
