One-third of the new recruits to the Garda Traffic Corps have received no specialised driver training while fewer than 10 per cent have received advanced training, it has emerged. Liam Reid and Conor Lally report.
It has also emerged that Garda management has no plans at present to increase the capacity of the Garda driving school next year to meet the demand to train nearly 250 additional gardaí who are set to join the traffic corps.
According to figures released this month, of the 48 gardaí appointed to the new Garda Traffic Corps in the last 12 months, 16 have no specialised driver training.
A further 29 have the two-week standard Garda driving course completed. Only three of the new corps members have completed the advanced Garda driving course.
The 16 with no training are allowed to drive Garda cars, however, under what is known as "chief's permission", where they are cleared to drive Garda vehicles on request by the local chief superintendent.
The information was provided last week to Fine Gael transport spokeswoman Olivia Mitchell on foot of a parliamentary question to the Minister for Justice.
The school, which is based at the Garda training college in Templemore, Co Tipperary, and at Garda Headquarters in Dublin's Phoenix Park, is staffed by 24 trained officers. Under the plan, announced by the Government last year, the traffic corps will grow by an additional 232 this year, from 574 to 805. There will be 1,200 traffic corps officers by the end of 2008 under the plan.
The Irish Times understands that until last year, recruits to the regional traffic divisions were required to have a minimum of a standard Garda motorcycle course and a driving course before applying for transfer there, and would also complete an advanced motorcycle course before joining.