The Garda Commissioner has told the National Safety Council that gardaí driving the Taoiseach and his Ministers can break the speed limit at their own discretion in a letter described as "deeply disappointing" by the council, which has been urging ministers to slow down, writes Mark Brennock, Chief Political Correspondent.
In a reply to a letter from the NSC, the Garda Commissioner, Mr Pat Byrne, said Garda drivers were instructed to "set an example for other road users by careful driving and observance of the traffic regulations".
However they must be allowed decide themselves when to break the speed limit, he said, while praising the work of the Garda Driving School in engendering high standards of driving and safety.
Mr Byrne's letter, sent on January 31st, was in response to one from the NSC chairman, Mr Eddie Shaw, after a spate of high-profile speeding incidents involving the Taoiseach's car and those of his Ministers. The letter has been released to The Irish Times under the Freedom of Information Act.
In his letter on December 3rd last, Mr Shaw wrote to Mr Byrne saying that while he accepted there were exceptional circumstances that involved gardaí breaking the speed limit, "I do not accept that this includes football matches, election canvassing timetables, delivering a minister's family to their home or other activities."
These were references to the speeding incidents involving the Taoiseach when canvassing in Wexford, the Minister for Health when travelling to a GAA match and the car used by the then Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, which was bringing members of his family home. All were clocked by Garda speed checks as travelling substantially above the speed-limit, but none of the drivers was prosecuted as Garda drivers are exempt from speeding laws when on duty.
In his letter, Mr Byrne made no reference to the circumstances of these incidents as outlined by Mr Shaw.
He said: "Given the nature of the work undertaken by An Garda Síochána occasions do, and will arise in the future, where it will be necessary for vehicles used by members of An Garda Síochána, in the course of their duties, to exceed the speed limits.
"The decision in this regard will, of course, be dependent on the circumstances pertaining at the time and as such, must be left to the discretion of the individual Garda driver concerned."
He made no comment on whether the circumstances of the three incidents referred to by Mr Shaw were appropriate ones in which gardaí should exceed the speed limit.
The NSC met the Garda Commissioner on Monday to discuss the issue further. In a statement yesterday the council said it had had "a good discussion on the points of common interest and is reviewing various options for progressing the matter'".