One in three Gardai have not completed a specialised driving training course, which allows them to drive Garda cars.
Gardaí are required to complete a specialist driving course before being allowed to drive in the line of duty.
However, in recent years, this reguation has been flouted and gardaí who have not yet received basic training to drive patrol cars, are authorised to do so with the written permission of a chief superintendent, a system referred to as “chief’s permission”.
This was only ever meant as a short term measure
to accommodate training delays, but is now the norm with more than 4,000 members of the force driving with “chief’s permission”.
