Seanad report: Joining in calls for action to curb the carnage on Irish roads, James Bannon (FG) said he had recently become aware that a small device was available which could warn motorists of Garda speed checks.
The relevant Minister should come to the House and say whether the possession of such a device constituted a criminal offence and what penalty it carried. The use of an apparatus of this kind would seriously inhibit efforts to make roads safe. Young and old motorists were using it, and action needed to be taken.
Brian Hayes, Fine Gael leader in the House, said more people had died in road accidents this year than in the comparable period in 2004.
While the Government had undertaken to introduce a Garda traffic corps there were currently just 33 gardaí deployed to it. He understood that only 10 speed cameras were working countrywide.
Brendan Ryan (Labour) said heavy goods vehicles made a disproportionate contribution to the death and injury toll on the roads.
He wondered what the point was of having speed-regulating governors on such vehicles when these systems could be bypassed by the removal of fuses.
Feargal Quinn (Ind) said it was noteworthy that from Monday last PSNI and Garda officers at the level of superintendent had exchanged work places in Belfast and Dublin.
He believed that if we were to tackle the horrific level of road deaths one logical step would be to introduce an All-Ireland penalty points system.
Leader of the House Mary O'Rourke is to take the unusual step of seeking an adjournment debate in an effort to obtain information for an Opposition member about foreign aircraft using Irish airports.
Such debates are used by members to raise matters of concern to them, to which ministers respond.
Mr Ryan yesterday reminded Mrs O'Rourke that he had asked her to obtain information about aircraft landing in this country and passing through it which apparently did not have to provide manifests as to who or what was on board.
Mrs O'Rourke said she could not seem to get the full information for him so she was going to put down a motion for an adjournment debate.
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David Norris (Ind) said he cried shame on a Government that did not see the discrepancy between what it was asking the US to do for Irish "illegals" and the way this State was treating people who came here in identical circumstances.
Mr Norris was speaking on a motion in support of the Kennedy-McCain Bill aimed at enabling undocumented Irish people to regularise their position in the US.
The motion was passed.