Senior management from An Garda Síochána has confirmed to the Joint Oireachtas Justice Committee that only six police officers are expected to complete specialized pursuit driving training by the end of 2026. The revelation came during a parliamentary hearing examining police operational capabilities, training resources, and road safety oversight following recent fatal vehicular incidents on Irish motorways.

Chief Superintendent Brian Sugrue, Director of Training and Development at the Garda College in Templemore, told the committee on Tuesday that while roughly 4,000 gardaí are qualified in response driving, zero frontline members are currently trained in formal pursuit tactics. He explained that Garda driving instructors are undergoing training through a partnership with Devon and Cornwall Police in the United Kingdom, with instructor qualification expected by November. Following that, an initial course for six frontline officers is planned before the end of the year, ahead of a broader rollout projected for 2027.

Representatives from police staff associations raised serious concerns during the session regarding the slow pace of the rollout and current operational constraints. Representatives from the Garda Representative Association (GRA) and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) told lawmakers that frontline members lack clear operational guidance and legal protections when encountering vehicles driving dangerously or against traffic. AGSI General Secretary Ronan Clogher noted that substantial numbers of qualified officers are unlikely to be deployed before late 2027 or 2028.

The parliamentary hearing was convened following a string of high-profile dangerous driving incidents, including an August collision on the M9 motorway in County Kildare that resulted in the deaths of five teenagers travelling against the flow of traffic and left four occupants of another vehicle seriously injured. Committee members across political parties criticized the delays, with Labour TD Alan Kelly describing the reliance on an overseas police force to train Irish driving instructors as embarrassing.