The use of mobile phones while driving has been a "major factor" in two fatal road accidents this year, according to the Garda Siochana, which has welcomed a Government initiative to ban the use of the phones while driving.
The Automobile Association (AA) said it was "somewhat sceptical of fresh legislation" to deal with the problem.
The Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, has asked a "high-level" committee to consider banning the use of mobile phones by drivers.
He said he took the step because it was obvious there was "nobody paying a blind bit of notice" to exhortations from the Garda, the AA and others not to use mobile phones while driving.
Supt Tom Murphy of the Garda National Traffic Bureau said the Garda welcomed the establishment of the committee. "International research has shown a driver's concentration is reduced by 30 per cent when they are using a hand-held mobile phone," he said.
Any ban "may cause inconvenience to some drivers, but the carnage on our roads is totally and absolutely unacceptable," he said.
Mr Conor Faughnan, public affairs manager of the AA, said the problem could be dealt with under existing legislation if enforcement was increased.
Ms Grainne Mackin, spokeswoman for the Irish Cellular Industry Association (ICIA), which represents operators and manufacturers in the State, said the industry advised customers to stop when making or receiving calls.
A spokesman for Digifone said the company recommended drivers to pull into a safe place when making or receiving a call.