Mr. Desmond Kenny:

The EV question would be resolved through working with the likes of Marian Harkin and others like MEPs. The regulation regarding sound - the acoustic vehicle alerting system, AVAS - was explored through a combined study in America and the EU involving the big motoring manufacturers in order to come up with a sound that did not sound like something from outer space, but had the right type of pitch and sound. It was hoped that it would not be something that people with autism would find difficult but would be such that it would alert them to the movement of the car when the car was travelling below 20 km per hour. This was on the basis that if it was faster, they would hear the tyres of the car. In addition, that system was to be designed in such a way that it could not be turned off. It was to be an inherent part of the car that the sound could not be switched off at any stage. Otherwise, the danger would be that it would stay switched off. There are commitments from the Department of Transport, and from the Tánaiste, Deputy Varadkar, when he was Minister in that Department, that this will be adhered to in Ireland but, again, it falls between the stools so it is not done at present. That is where it came from and it has been explored and agreed to by the manufacturers. As far as I know, it is fitted to all EVs now coming into the country.