David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 12:

In page 7, between lines 7 and 8, to insert the following:“Amendment of Schedule to Act of 1997

7. The Schedule to the Act of 1997 is amended, in paragraph 19, by the substitution of the following for subparagraph (b):

“(b) section 106 (duties on occurrence of accident);

(c) section 112 (towing vehicle without authority).”.”.

The amendment inserts a new section into the Bill to add two additional offences to the Schedule to the Bail Act 1997. The Schedule to the Bail Act 1997 sets out the list of offences which, if punishable by terms of imprisonment of five years or more, are considered to be serious offences for the purposes of a bail application. The two offences which will be added to the Schedule by the amendment were both inserted into section 106 of the Road Traffic Act 1961 by section 17 of the Road Traffic Act 2014. They are effectively hit and run offences. They target individuals who seek to avoid sanction by leaving the scene of a road accident having killed or injured an individual. A person guilty of such an offence is liable under the Road Traffic Act to a fine or a term of imprisonment of up to seven years in the case of injury and ten years in the case of the death of a person. These are very serious offences and, as such, appropriate for inclusion in the Schedule to the Bail Act.