More than half of all front-line gardaí are not qualified to drive with flashing blue lights and cannot respond to emergency call-outs. The Garda Representative Association (GRA) raised concerns around the lack of basic training, claiming it is having “enormous knock-on implications” on how gardaí carry out their job. More than half of the force is still not permitted to give chase or drive with sirens. GRA spokesman John O’Keeffe said: “We believe that over 50% of frontline gardaí don’t have the training. Mr O’Keeffe said many gardaí are driving at only a CBD 1 level, which is “not training by any stretch of the imagination”.

Source: Evening echo May 14, 2018 06:33 UTC