History has a habit of repeating itself. Details of the letter sent by the Garda Commissioner to National Safety Council (NSC) stating that gardaí driving the Taoiseach and his Ministers can break the speed limit at their own discretion has some historic precedence, writes Bob Montgomery.
Last Wednesday it was revealed by The Irish Times that the Garda Commissioner, Mr Pat Byrne, in a reply to a letter from the NSC, said Garda drivers were instructed to "set an example for other road users by careful driving and observance of the traffic regulations."
However, they must be allowed decide themselves when to break the speed limit, he said, while praising the work of the Garda Driving School in engendering high standards of driving and safety.
Mr Byrne's letter, sent on January 31st, was in response to one from the NSC chairman, Mr Eddie Shaw, after a spate of high-profile speeding incidents involving the Taoiseach's car and those of his Ministers. The letter was released to The Irish Times under the Freedom of Information Act.
This is not the first time concerns about speeding politicians and their drivers have been dismissed. Back in 1913 the spokesperson for road safety was the Irish Automobile Club. At the time the club's secretary wrote to the the Lord Lieutenant, Lord Aberdeen, about the speed his drivers were travelling through the city.
The Irish Automobile Club, then the sole spokespersons for Irish motorists, felt compelled to write to the Viceroy about a complaint regarding the driving of "one of your Motor Cars in Dame Street between 6 and 6.30 pm".
HS Chaytor, secretary of the club, wrote: "The Complainant states that the Car was driven past several Tramway Cars (some of them stationary) at a rate of speed dangerous to the public. It is always dangerous to pass Tramway cars except at a low rate of speed. I am sure that your cars are never so driven with your Excellency's knowledge and approval. I regret having to write on the subject."
The response from the Viceroy reflects the response of various government officials and the Garda Commissioner to the current controversy. James C Johnson, private secretary to the Viceroy, wrote that while "his Excellency quite appreciates the motives of your communication and also the manner in which it is expressed . . . his Excellency's chauffeurs are expert drivers, and there can be no doubt that the speed, especially when one or other of Their Excellencies are in the car, may be occasionally somewhat high.
"His Excellency's feeling about this is that, while of course he expects his chauffeurs to use the utmost care to avoid any risk of accident, or even causing anxiety to any persons, a certain amount of privilege may reasonably be extended to the occupant of the Viceroyalty for the time being, on this ground especially, that as there is only one Viceroy at a time, such privileges cannot be quoted as an excuse for the adoption of too high speed by other people."
Back to the present day and in his letter on December 3rd last, the NSC chairman Mr Shaw wrote to Mr Byrne saying that while he accepted there were exceptional circumstances that involved gardaí breaking the speed limit, "I do not accept that this includes football matches, election canvassing timetables, delivering a minister's family to their home or other activities."
These were references to the speeding incidents involving the Taoiseach when canvassing in Wexford, the Minister for Health and the car used by the then Minister for Justice. All were clocked by Garda speed checks as travelling substantially above the speed-limit, but none of the drivers was prosecuted as Garda drivers are exempt from speeding laws when on duty.
In his response, Mr Byrne said: "Given the nature of the work undertaken by An Garda Síochána occasions do, and will arise in the future, where it will be necessary for vehicles used by members of An Garda Síochána, in the course of their duties, to exceed the speed limits." Sound familiar?