New penalties for driving wrong way down motorway will be considered, says justice minister

Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan speaking to members of the media at the Department of Justice in Dublin, following a crash on the M9 northbound at Junction 3 in Co Kildare where five teenagers, all occupants of one of the vehicles, died and four people were seriously injured after a head-on collision between two cars. Picture: Niall Carson/PA

A standalone offence for driving the wrong way down the motorway will be considered in the wake of Sunday's fatal collision on the M9 in Kildare, justice minister Jim O'Callaghan has said.

Five teenagers were killed after they drove a stolen car the wrong way down the M9, injuring four others after hitting a car.

"We will have to consider the introduction of a separate offense in respect of individuals who make a deliberate decision to drive their vehicles the wrong way down the motorway," Mr O'Callaghan said on Monday afternoon.

"That is using a vehicle as a weapon, and it is a lethal form of behavior that, as we saw over the weekend, results in deaths and serious injuries."

Mr O'Callaghan condemned the behaviour of the five teenagers who lost their lives in the crash, describing it as "reckless, criminal behaviour".

"I also want to emphasise that anyone who makes a decision to drive a vehicle deliberately the wrong way down a motorway is engaged in lethally dangerous behavior, and it must stop."

Mr O'Callaghan said he had spoken to the Garda Commissioner and added that any additional resources needed to prevent similar crashes in future would be made available to gardaí.

The justice minister also took aim at social media firms, saying they have a responsibility to not allow posts which glorify criminal behaviour.

"Regrettably, that hasn't been happening, and social media companies need to step up to the mark as well in respect of their own responsibilities," he said.