Mr. John Wilson:

As I am sure the assistant commissioner will agree, it is the responsibility of every member of the Garda Síochána, not just members of the traffic corps, to enforce the road traffic legislation in this country.

On Deputy Fitzpatrick's question, quite simply, drink-driving is not classified as a crime. Drink-driving is only classified as a road traffic offence. It is time, in 2017, that drink-driving became a crime in this country. It is a crime in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Imposing a fine and a disqualification is not good enough.

The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, has found it difficult to enforce tougher legislation that deals with drink-driving. It is time that we considered introducing mandatory prison sentences for people convicted of drink-driving. I suggest a period of three months to five years. Has anyone here ever heard of an individual being sent to prison for drink-driving? The maximum sentence that can be imposed for a drink-driving offence is six months imprisonment or a fine of €5,000 or both. It is very rare to hear of an individual being jailed for drink-driving in this country. It is merely a road traffic offence. If an individual shoplifts and steals chocolate or a pair of underwear from a shop on Grafton Street and is convicted in the District Court then that person has committed a criminal offence and is, therefore, a criminal. The same individual can drink five times over the legal limit and if he or she is convicted in the District Court, it will be deemed a road traffic offence. It is time we made drink-driving a crime. Anyone who gets behind the steering wheel of a car while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is nothing more than a criminal.

In terms of the despicable sentence that was handed to the criminal who killed Gillian Treacy's son Ciarán, the presiding judge, God bless him, handed down the strongest sentence possible. Subsequently, the Court of Appeal overturned the sentence and reduced it by a couple of years down to six years all because of a legal precedent. It is time that dangerous driving causing death was replaced with a charge of vehicular manslaughter that carries a 15 or 20-year sentence. The measure would focus the minds of criminals like the man who destroyed the Treacy family forever.

In terms of the Deputy's original question, it is time that drink-driving was reclassified as a criminal offence and that harsher penalties were introduced. I agree with the assistant commissioner when he claimed the solution is enforcement. In many parts of this country the fear of getting caught is almost non-existent. I respect Deputy Michael Healy-Rae in terms of other legislation that he has been involved in or commented on. His reluctance to impose harsher penalties on drink-drivers is unfortunate. I am very disappointed by his actions.

As recently as last Sunday I spoke to an individual in Cavan. He is a very decent and hardworking man yet, in 2017, he sees nothing wrong with going to the pub, drinking four or five pints and driving four or five miles home in his car. The people in rural Ireland deserve the same protections as those who live in urban Ireland. If we want to stamp out drink-driving we must make it a criminal offence and impose proper penalties, not just fines and disqualification. We must ensure that anyone who is convicted of drink-driving is deemed a convicted criminal in the same way as a person who commits an armed robbery or serious assault.