John Joe O’Connell, speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland programme, has stated that: “It would be standard practice [not to chase a vehicle down the wrong way of a motorway]. The command-and-control centre would be dictating what happens.”

Mr O’Connell further added that there is not a single member of An Garda Síochána trained to pursue, “never mind dealing with cars going down the wrong way”. Those gardaí who do try to engage with such criminal driving behaviour can find themselves subject to internal sanctions and discipline or before the courts themselves.

Mr O’Connell’s comments come after the Sunday morning crash on the M9 that claimed the lives of five young males travelling in a car that was being driven the wrong way and left three women and a young child who were travelling in the other car seriously injured.

As gardaí had engaged with the vehicle prior to the crash an investigation has been opened by Fiosrú, the Police Ombudsman. However, it is understood that they were not in pursuit of the vehicle at the time of the accident.

Minster of state, Seán Canney, has stated that the government are now preparing legislation to protect gardaí when they are pursuing vehicles driving dangerously.

The Garda Commissioner, Justin Kelly, stated that the collision “shows how irresponsible and dangerous driving on the wrong side of the motorway is” adding that “what makes this reckless behaviour even more appalling is that in some cases it is being done for social media likes regardless of the potentially devastating impact it might have on innocent people and themselves”.