Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the Deputy's own interest and input on this whole area. On the first issue relating to camera-based enforcement, we must make progress on that. The first issue identified, which has been resolved, is whether it required further legislative change. Section 81 of the Road Traffic Act provides for the use of cameras by the Garda to assist in the detection of certain offences. There has been clarification around that. Work will be presented to me in November. At the November meeting of the road safety transformation partnership board, which I chair, a National Transport Authority-led working group is due to present recommendations and proposals around the increased use of camera-based enforcement. We will take forward the proposals, once received, through the legislative enabler group if legislative changes are required. In addition, a delegation of Department officials, along with officials from the RSA, An Garda Síochána and NTA are visiting Scotland this month to observe their camera-based enforcement setup. Following this technical visit, it is expected that all agencies involved will consider how best to take this away.

The Deputy is correct that there are two issues. First there is the protection of vulnerable road users and the enforcement of breaches of our legislation, which we all see too often and especially in urban areas. Then there is upholding the wider public transport principles for the investment we are making in bus corridors and the other areas that go beyond road safety specifically. If we want to keep the integrity of public transport supported through our urban areas, we need to have much better camera-based enforcement and a wider use of technology more generally. Other members have spoken to that point. We will be able to provide further detail when the NTA group has made the presentation to us at the end of November. We are committed as a Government to making progress on this.

On the issue of larger and heavier vehicles, in the context of the scheme before us today and the slowing down of all vehicles in urban and rural areas, we know the difference it makes between a 30 km/h zone versus a 50 km/h or a 60 km/h zone and how this can save a life and reduce serious injury or harm. Separately, through the Department of Transport we are trying to incentivise the uptake of electric vehicles more generally.

They are often constructed of heavier components sometimes as well, so I know there are contradictory positions relating to the weight of particular vehicles, in respect of whether they are electric or not. Our focus is predominantly on the scheme we have and on addressing dangerous driver behaviours. I have read some news reports regarding what was referred to and I will also be interested to read some of the research undertaken.