Thousands of Gardaí are waiting to be trained to drive a patrol car.

The Policing Authority has heard that 3,000 members are waiting for Emergency Services Driving Standard training.

Nearly 350 of them have yet to receive basic competency driver training.

Gardaí are not allowed to use blue lights and sirens or break speed limits until they achieve an ESD Level 3.

Many members have been driving patrol cars with “chief’s permission” despite not having the full training required.

Garda management has said it aims to be in a position to train 1,500 new members from next year – up from 400 this year.

Assistant Garda Commissioner for Roads Policing, Dave Sheahan, said the force is recruiting more trainers to address the backlog.

“I accept that the number of people that require training is about 3,000 and as part of the process to try and eliminate that backlog, what we have done is we have looked to get extra personnel into the driver training centres,” he said.

“A direction looking for those people was issued on the 6th of November this year.”

The Policing Authority first raised the issue four years ago – when it warned that there were “serious organisational risks” if members weren't fully trained to respond to “blue light” situations.

The authority’s chair Josephine Feehily said it is frustrating that the issue has yet to be resolved.

“It is actually quite fundamental for a policing service to be able to assure the public that members of the Garda Síochána are trained to safely drive squad cars,” she said.

“The general public have to do driving tests and people who drive commercial vehicles have to do repeat driving tests so I think it is important that we persists until we can assure the community that we are satisfied that the Guards are all trained to drive.”