Mr. Eoin Gavin:

On Deputy Kenny's last point, what is happening is out-of-State operators, be they from the UK, Northern Ireland, Holland or Germany, are operating within the Twenty-six Counties without an Irish haulage licence. One needs a haulage licence to move goods from A to B in Ireland. These companies have licences to move goods in their own countries or to move goods from one country to another, for example, Ireland to Germany or Germany to Ireland but they do not have a licence to move within Ireland which is very important. We would appreciate if the committee would further investigate the matter because it is happening in Dublin Port every day of the week. Foynes was a very clean-cut example. We knew where the loads were coming from and going to. Hundreds of trucks go in and out of the port every day in Dublin and they are operating illegally. We are the only jurisdiction in Europe that is tolerating such activity. It is called breach of cabotage. If I as an Irish haulier bring a load to Germany I can pick up a load in Berlin and bring it to Frankfurt and I could pick up a load in Frankfurt and bring it to Cologne but I must then pick up a load in Cologne and bring it to Ireland or the UK. I cannot operate my base in Germany for obvious social reasons such as employment law, costs reasons and road tax. None of those parameters are being adhered to in this country. The Road Safety Authority chose not to enforce the law in that regard. We call on the committee to carry out a full investigation as to why that is the case.

In terms of the comments on the European modular system, of course a 25 m vehicle in Dublin city will not be possible. Because of the HGV ban one cannot drive in the city now anyway. What we are looking at is such lorries being used on the motorway network and the national routes. If one takes the examples of Marks & Spencer or big stores on Grafton Street, they need deliveries every morning for the people of the city. If it is decided to ban vehicles completely out of the city one is talking about 15 to 20 transit vans being required to bring produce with the attendant pollution and carbon footprint. One could also ask how many vans are involved in accidents with cyclists. There must be realistic goals and there cannot be scaremongering. Every road user must be respected and they must all work together. Efficiencies can be achieved by improved technologies. We seek the committee’s support on the introduction of new technologies and not an insistence on sticking to the model that has been in operation in Europe since 1950. That would not be right.