Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail)
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The Chairman can rest assured that I will be brief. At the outset I thank all of the stakeholders for coming here this afternoon and participating in this very worthwhile discussion. It has been a very interesting meeting. As a culchie and someone who comes from the country, I would take cognisance of what my learned friends from the city have to say on these issues but I was in Amsterdam recently and found the infrastructure there for cyclists and pedestrians very relaxing. It felt very safe to be there. As someone who comes from the country and drives into the city of Dublin two or three days a week, I find it can be quite challenging because it is so busy and there is so much going on. Drivers have to be very alert at all times and to be cognisant of the fact that there are cyclists using the roadway as well. Mention was made earlier of a public information campaign which would not be a bad thing.

I was interested in the points made about the use of technology. We can talk about education and information campaigns and the altering or retrofitting of existing road infrastructure to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists but that is a slow burner. When it comes to the use of technology, reference was made to the port tunnel, where the compliance rate with the speed limits is in the high 90s. I use the port tunnel regularly and it is amazing to see the impact of the technology there on road users. One knows that the technology is there and that if one goes beyond the speed limit, one will end up with a fine and penalty points. It is amazing how that message hits home and perhaps there is a wider role for technology in terms of getting a quick hit on these other issues.

I have a number of questions for An Garda Síochána. Are offences in these areas on the increase? What is the trend there, year on year? Where does technology fit into this in the context of GDPR? Is there an obstacle there or is it a cause of delays? Is satisfying GDPR requirements an issue in the context of the use of technology to detect road offenders?