We were the most ambitious.

That is not true.

They will.

President Metsola is very welcome. This period of commemoration allows us to think big for a moment. We have just celebrated our 100th year of the establishment of the State. In listening to President Metsola's words, I was thinking that it was founded on a real desire to stand on our own two feet as a nation, a strong sense of a nationalism, but that it was also imbued with an international perspective, an understanding from the start that our strength would only work within international law. Fifty years ago we l…

President Metsola is very welcome. This period of commemoration allows us to think big for a moment. We have just celebrated our 100th year of the establishment of the State. In listening to President Metsola's words, I was thinking that it was founded on a real desire to stand on our own two feet as a nation, a strong sense of a nationalism, but that it was also imbued with an international perspective, an understanding from the start that our strength would only work within international law. Fifty years ago we l…

I cannot accept the amendment. This proposal would add a passport to the possible details that could be captured with vehicle ownership records. I appreciate the thinking behind the amendment, but it would not work. We are trying to capture identifiers - a driver number, if available, or a PPS number if there is no driver number - so that we can link vehicle ownership records to existing or future driving licence records. This will help us to ensure that, for example, fixed-charge notices are delivered to the corre…

Members will be aware that one of the matters dealt with in this Bill is the legislative underpinning for a motor insurance database. This is a project that was developed over a long time. The aim behind it is to provide a resource to combat uninsured driving. Uninsured driving is a menace. Drivers who drive while uninsured are typically guilty of other road traffic offences and are a danger to the public. The cost of uninsured driving ultimately falls on law-abiding citizens through higher insurance premiums. This…

There seems to be some sense behind the Senator's suggestion on how we address the issue of large vehicles avoiding tolls, which brings traffic to areas we do want it in. However, it is not for this piece of legislation, which relates to the insurance rather than the toll management systems. As I said in my introductory remarks, it is to the advantage of hauliers to be treated like all other fleet owners. As I recall, any company or organisation with more than five vehicles is described as a fleet. Many hauliers mi…

The Senator is right that who gets access is equally important to what the information is. The amendment requires the Minister to set out regulations in that regard.

There are a large number of amendments. They have been grouped together for convenience because they are all essentially technical and do not change the substance of the Bill. Many simply correct typographical errors, misspellings or wrongly repeated words. In a few cases they change the numbering of subparagraphs to match current practice. For example, section 5(j)(i)(I)(cc) will become 5(j)(i)(I)(ca). None of these amendments involve any change to the substance of the Bill.

I have a note on that I would like to give, for the information of the House. It is just to have clarity on it. Members will be aware the Road Safety Authority, RSA, is responsible for the delivery of the driving test. This was the original core purpose of the authority, which was originally to be called the driver testing and standards authority. When first published as a Bill, the Road Safety Authority Act 2006 was called the Driver Testing and Standards Authority Bill. Recent discussions with the Attorney Genera…

As Senator Crowe said, in the programme for Government we committed to addressing the antisocial use of scramblers and similar machines. We included a number of measures in the Bill to ensure the Garda will have the necessary powers to deal with this problem. Among other things, we are creating a power that will allow the Garda to enter the curtilage of a dwelling, but not the dwelling itself, to seize machines of the type in question that have been used illegally. The amendment proposed would delete this power and…

We always have to think about how legislation will be interpreted in a court, where some of the thinking is worked out. I believe the wording of the legislation delivers exactly what the Senator is looking for. It states, "A member of the Garda Síochána may, for the purposes of exercising a power under subsection (1), enter without warrant". As stated in subsection (1), it is only where a member of the Garda Síochána "reasonably believes that a vehicle has been, or is being, driven or used (or is likely to be drive…

I hear the Senator’s passion and clear commitment to the issue. We are absolutely in agreement that the improper use of disabled parking is extremely selfish and causes grave disruption for people with disabilities who need access to those spaces. They are provided to people with mobility difficulties who need access to parking close to shops and other amenities and where the bays are designed to be wider to allow for people who have difficulty getting in and out of vehicles to have the space that they need. As the…

I am very glad to be informed.

The texter is correct. I was uncertain as to that fact. Our office pushed for the increase in fines. As I said, we have never been shy about trying to protect this. To respond to Senator Higgins, when I speak about dangerous driving I am concerned about the people and not the vehicle. We also try to protect vehicles but we are all of a similar view that it is the human being we are looking to protect in how we regulate dangerous driving. There is an important point on the use of penalty points and how we designate …

I would be happy to support such a stepping up of efforts or a "blitz" as Senator Boyhan calls it. The timing would be appropriate. One of the things that did happen during Covid-19 was that much of the behaviours on our roads such as parking, use of bus lanes and other areas worsened when people maybe felt there was not the same policing operation in place due to the restrictions. I will look at that and see what is possible to try to make sure the resources are applied so we enforce the laws we have, as well as s…

It is the remit of An Garda Síochána as to how it deploys its resources. I certainly will join calls in making a case and pushing for that.

These amendments are designed to allow the Revenue Commissioners to issue fixed-charge notices in certain circumstances. To explain the background, in 2002 the system of fixed-charge notices for certain offences relating to traffic and vehicles was introduced. Under this system, which applies to lesser offences, An Garda Síochána issued a fixed-charge notice in advance of taking a case to court. The recipient has 28 days to pay the charge and then a further 28 days to pay the charge, plus 50%. Only if there is no p…

Of all the measures dealt with in this complex Bill, it is probably fair to say that the ones which attracted the most attention were those to do with electric scooters. These vehicles have become very popular in recent years and have a great deal to offer as an environmentally friendly form of micromobility. At the same time, the laws needs to take account of them like any other vehicles in the general interest of public safety. One starting point is that e-scooters already fit the criteria to be classed as mechan…