Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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41. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when legislation to regulate the clamping of vehicles on privately owned land will be enacted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54400/13]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for Government contains a commitment “to legislate to regulate the vehicle clamping industry”. Therefore, in late 2011 I asked the Joint Committee on Environment, Transport, Culture and Gaeltacht to take a role in the pre - Heads of Bill stage and to contribute to the initial drafting of legislation. The Committee carried out a number of hearings on the matter and published detailed recommendations on the issues that should be included in the legislation. Following this, in March of this year, the Government approved the drafting of a Regulation of Vehicle Immobilisation Bill 2013. The necessary legislation to give effect to this legislation is currently being drafted by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. The outcome of this process will form the core of the Bill which I expect to publish early in 2014. Progress on the drafting of this legislation has not been as quick as was originally hoped given the complexity of legislation that deal with the rights of property owners.

Under the principal provisions of the Bill, the National Transport Authority, as Regulator, will ensure the provision of adequate advisory signage in locations where clamping is in operation, set maximum clamp release periods and fees, and establish an independent appeals process. These provisions will apply to clamping activities on the public road, as well as on private property where the public has an explicit or implicit invitation to park.