2128. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration further to Parliamentary Question No. 324 of 28 July 2026, the current status of the proposals to amend road traffic legislation to provide appropriate legal protections for members of An Garda Síochána undertaking pursuits in the course of their duties; when it is intended to submit those proposals to the Department of Transport; and whether a timeline has been agreed between An Garda Síochána and his Department for bringing forward the necessary legislative changes. [59649/26]

2298. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of members of An Garda Síochána who have completed pursuit driving training, by Garda division; whether a member so trained is rostered in each division on each shift; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61471/26]

2377. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the engagement that has taken place with an organisation (details supplied) regarding their publicly stated concerns and calls for specialist pursuit training, a comprehensive pursuit framework and a dedicated professional driving licence for Gardaí carrying out this work. [61834/26]

2411. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the position regarding any engagement he has had with the Garda Commissioner in relation to the high speed pursuit of vehicles driving the wrong way on any road; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61960/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 2128, 2298, 2377 and 2411 together.

Under the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the training of Garda personnel and the distribution of Garda resources throughout the State. I engage regularly with the Commissioner and I am assured that the resourcing of An Garda Síochána is fully considered within the overall context of the needs and requirements of Garda Divisions throughout the country.

I have been advised by the Garda authorities that while driver response training is provided to specific members of An Garda Síochána, with specialist units receiving advanced driving training, no Gardaí have been trained to conduct tactical pursuits.

However, as recently confirmed by the Commissioner, An Garda Síochána is currently upskilling Garda Driving Instructors to enable the delivery of pursuit training to the organisation.

In this regard I am advised that Garda College driving instructors attended training at the Devon and Cornwall Police in early 2025 to observe their training and determined that it was in line with the needs of the training requirement of An Garda Síochána. Thereafter, the instructors commenced the first of three stages of training.

In 2026, driver training experts from the Devon and Cornwall Police attended the Garda College and continued the training of Garda College driver training instructors, which is currently on-going.

This “train-the-trainer” approach will allow the Garda College to become self-sufficient to train further garda instructors and enable training of Gardaí to commence before the end of 2026.

Officials from my Department and the Department of Transport are continuing to engage with a view to considering whether legislative changes may be required to provide appropriate legal protections for members of An Garda Síochána undertaking pursuits in the course of their duties.

As Minister, I recognise the importance of ensuring that An Garda Síochána can carry out its operational responsibilities effectively while maintaining an appropriate legal and regulatory framework. Officials in my Department have submitted a draft proposal to the Department of Transport, which is currently under review.

Engagement is ongoing and the matter remains under active consideration and is a high priority for both the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, and I.

I am committed, as Minister, to ensuring that our Gardaí have the resources, equipment, and legislation they need to fulfil their vital policing role.