Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. I do not minimise the loss of one life at all. The point I was making is that, based on the figures supplied by the RSA and the Department, the greatest number of fatalities relate to the higher category. It is currently illegal to exceed 50 mg per 100 ml and that is not going to change. The point I was making on number of people caught in 2016 and subjected to automatic disqualification is that if automatic disqualification were such a deterrent, there would be more people in the lesser category. This is not the case, however. Unfortunately, automatic disqualification is not the great deterrent the Minister believes it to be because the greatest number of offenders have blood alcohol levels in the higher category. If we were really serious about taking impaired drivers off the road, we would do so through enforcement. I have said that all along.

I welcome the Minister's statement that there will be 150 additional gardaí in the traffic corps this year but he should forgive us if we are somewhat sceptical. He said last year that there would be an additional 10% in 2017 but this did not happen. According to the figures I obtained through a parliamentary question on 16 January last, the number decreased from 669 to 643 between 2016 and 2017. Forgive me if I am somewhat sceptical about promises made at committee meetings, particularly as previous promises were not honoured. Even if the 150 come on board, how many of the existing traffic corps members will retire? The number decreased from 669 to 643 last year. Was that through natural wastage owing to retirements? Will there be a similar reduction before there is an increase this year? This must be figured out.

The Minister should not suggest that some lobby group has come to me. I did not meet the Vintners Federation of Ireland. I refused to meet it. I am not here as a voice for the vintners at all; what I want to see is proportionality. Based on that, I was advocating an increase in penalty points for what is already illegal, namely, having a blood alcohol level between 50 mg per 100 ml and 80 mg per 100 ml. I want to see a stiffer penalty introduced for people in the higher echelon. There is already automatic disqualification for those in the higher echelon. It is simply not deterring them. Perhaps we should be considering greater penalties.

I welcome the fact that the Minister suggested he is willing to work with me on this. I will happily work with him.