Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We are discussing the 2015 road traffic Bill. When reading the report I noticed that Irish Rail employees are subject to random testing under railway legislation, but the same powers or conditions do not apply under road traffic legislation. It is important not only for Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus but for all road transport users, haulage companies and bus companies that these safety measures apply across the board.

I can understand why some people might be reticent. Representatives of the Automobile Association were before the committee last week. From memory, Conor Faughnan expressed some reservations on behalf of motorists who might be subjected to random tests. There is an understandable fear among people who might be on medication of some kind to the effect that if they are stopped and tested, they might fail the test. This probably needs to be clarified in the Bill. All road haulage companies and bus operators and their employees should be subject to the safety procedures in place in the interests of the safety of the public, passengers and the employees themselves.