Mr. Michael Finn:

We have an issue with the training of staff. It is grand to train them up to a basic level so that they can drive a patrol car out in the community. There is an issue with the use of vehicles for pursuit. One of my colleagues spoke at a Policing Authority meeting last week about the challenges that are being faced in this regard. We are looking at outsourcing that whole role as much as we can. This will free up gardaí to do high-end training. We could outsource the roadcraft part of that training to private companies, but it is obvious that gardaí are needed for the high-end training up to pursuit level. We are looking at changing the mix and getting more people trained so that gardaí who come out of Templemore can drive Garda cars. The cars are there for them. The big challenge for us is to provide the requisite level of visibility in communities.