Recruitment for a new, separate transport police force could begin by the end of 2026, Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien has said.
The new force would have powers of arrest, detention and pursuit, he told Newstalk’s Pat Kenny show.
It would take “nine to 12 months” to get legislation through the Dáil and Seanad, but the Minister said he believed the proposal would get support across the Oireachtas. In the meantime, the Minister said, his department would continue to work with An Garda Síochána.
Mr O’Brien said the force, while separate to the gardaí, “will supplement the work the guards are doing. It is important, though, this will be a State security force, looking after transport and will be uniformed.”
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The new transport police would have powers akin to airport police, he said. “What we’re looking at are powers of arrest and detention and pursuit.
“If you’re on a Luas line and someone does something on the Luas and actually gets off the Luas, you’ll need someone to be able to pursue that person. This is something that we will deliver and it will require legislation. I’ve already worked with the Minister for Justice on this, and indeed with my own team, and, really importantly too, with the stakeholders ... I think we can start recruiting by the end of next year.”
Mr O’Brien said there was already a focused campaign by gardaí on public transport incidents.
“What I want to do is be able to assist them. To be fair to our bus and train operators, people will also see greater private security right now in place. So we’re going to continue to do that.”
Earlier this year Dublin Bus said there was a significant increase in antisocial behaviour on the capital’s buses, including violent and racist threats.
Reports of antisocial behaviour on the Dublin Bus network have more than doubled since before the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2019 there were 494 reported incidents, while last year there were 1,053.
