Garda pursuit training won’t start this year because the instructors aren’t trained

The promised pursuit training is proving harder to deliver

The problem is that the instructors themselves have not yet completed the training required to teach the course.

The development comes after Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan previously said Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly had assured him that pursuit training would be introduced for Gardaí for the first time this year.

The commitment was made following pressure from the Garda Representative Association, which called for officers to receive proper pursuit training after the fatal crash on the M9 near Moone, Co Kildare, where five teenagers lost their lives.

Why garda pursuit training has not been rolled out

Earlier this year, The Journal reported that not a single Garda officer in Ireland had received formal training in pursuit tactics, despite the practice being routinely used by police forces in other countries.

Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly had previously told an Oireachtas committee that the force was unable to introduce the training at the time because its resources were being heavily focused on Ireland's EU Presidency, which runs from July until December.

The lack of progress has now drawn criticism from Kevin Bolger of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, who pointed out on Tuesday that commitments had already been made to introduce the training.

Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan has also issued a stark warning to motorists who drive the wrong way on a motorway, saying they could ultimately end up “in jail or in a grave”, according to Newstalk.

The issue has become particularly significant following the recent fatal crash, with pursuit training now at the centre of wider questions about how Gardaí respond to dangerous driving.

However, until the instructors themselves complete the necessary course, there is still no confirmed date for when Garda pursuit training will actually begin.