TDs against reforming drink-driving law are ‘costing lives’

Minister for Transport Shane Ross has accused some of his Dáil colleagues of “costing lives” by delaying the passage of his new Road Traffic Bill which increases penalties for drink-driving.

Mr Ross said the Bill currently before the Dáil was the subject of a “filibuster” – a delaying tactic imposed by a few TDs who did not want to see it pass into law.

“I totally deplore a few individuals, they are costing lives. That is a heavy responsibility on their shoulders.”

Mr Ross was speaking at the publication of a mid-tern evaluation of the Government’s road safety strategy, which called for wide-ranging reforms and a tougher regime for existing and new road traffic offences.

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The launch also saw Road Safety Authority chairwoman Liz O’Donnell call for ongoing involvement of the Policing Authority in audits of Garda traffic policing. Ms O’Donnell said the concern arose from last year’s revelations that members of the Garda had greatly exaggerated the numbers of times vehicles were stopped and drivers breathalysed.

She said “the veracity of the figures” received from the Garda was crucially important and the RSA “had to be confident” of figures provided “by its partners”, the Garda.

She also took issue with Garda “promises” that the strength of the Traffic Corps would be increased by about 10 per cent each year. That did not happen in 2017, she said.

She said the authority would be making a submission to the Policing Authority on “change to the command and control” of Garda traffic policing.

It is understood the authority wants the Traffic Corps to report directly to the assistant commissioner in charge of road policing.

Currently, local members of the corps in each Garda region report to their local superintendent.

Ms O’Donnell said the reporting should be made to the head of the road policing who should be “an assistant commissioner”.

The traffic monitoring reports should be audited under the auspices of the Policing Authority she said.

Safety measures

Ms O’Donnell and Road Safety Authority chief executive Moyagh Murdock criticised “rural TDs” and “public representatives”, who they said had called for leniency in drink-driving legislation.

Ms O’Donnell said, as a former TD, it concerned her that the all-party support for road safety measures was not being adhered to, while Ms Murdock said there would be no regressive steps to an attitude which tolerated a couple of drinks. “We can now see how many people were killed” as a result of the permissive attitude, Ms Murdock said. “We cannot go back to the bad old days.”

In the most recent Dáil debate on the Road Traffic Bill, Mr Ross criticised Wexford Independent TD Mick Wallace, whom he accused of filibustering.

Mr Wallace had delivered a lengthy speech which covered a number of subjects which he said were related to the Bill, including rural housing and job creation outside Dublin.

Interrupting Mr Wallace’s speech, Mr Ross asked Leas-Ceann Comhairle Pat “the Cope” Gallagher to prevent Opposition members from holding up the legislation. “There is a blatant filibuster taking place here. Outside this House, lives are being lost,” he said.

However, Mr Gallagher said he had no control over members’ contributions.

Mr Ross was also angry that Opposition TDs were delaying the debating by calling for quorums, which requires a pause in the debate for a count of deputies present in the Dáil. The debate can only resume if 20 or more TDs are present.

Calling one such quorum, Cork South West Independent TD Michael Collins said he was doing so “on the basis of the disrespect the Minister has shown to the people of rural Ireland”.

Road deaths

Mr Wallace could not be contacted for comment on Monday night.

Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae, who also opposes the Bill, said the Minister was not referring to him in his criticisms about filibustering. “Myself and Shane Ross have a good understanding. He has his views which I respect. I don’t blame him but I think he’s wrong,” he said.

Fianna Fáil also opposes the Bill, which is still at second stage in the Dáil.

The Mid-Term Evaluation of the Road Safety Strategy 2013-2020 advocated key measures to further reduce road deaths. These include a “back to basics” approach to issues such as drink-driving, speeding, non-wearing of seat belts and using a mobile phone while driving.

The measures proposed are:

* An increase in Garda road policing numbers from the current level of 681 to 997 by 2020.

* Introduce automatic disqualification for all convicted of driving while over the permitted limit of 50mg of alcohol/100ml of blood.

* Increase penalties for speeding, mobile phone use, non-wearing of seat belts and carrying unrestrained children.

* Give Garda powers to seize vehicles driven by an L-driver without a qualified driver.

* Extend the range of issues covered by fixed-charge fines.

* Refine driver theory test and introduce lessons at Junior Cert level.

* Examine the legal case for publishing the names of those who have been disqualified from driving.

Mr Ross said the department’s legal advisers had said there may be a difficulty in publishing the names of disqualified drivers but work on the measure was ongoing.