Dáil debates

Wednesday, 1 February 2006

12:00 pm

Photo of Bertie AhernBertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

No, there is no confusion. To have full random breath testing that will allow us deal with what comes up in the courts will require legislation. The Attorney General's scheme will deal with this. Currently, gardaí can have road checks. There is nothing wrong with that under the law. If they see anything untoward, they can breathalyse people on that basis. The current situation does not mean nothing can happen. Road checks can be set up anywhere and if gardaí see anything suspicious they can carry out a breath test. However, the Attorney General is of the view that we can design a scheme to bring a random roadside breath test into areas where there are high accidents that will deal with the constitutional difficulty with regard to proportionality. He believes we should do that in legislation.

I will have to check with the Minister on the position on the report on discipline.

I understand there is no difficulty with regard to the report on the Corrib gas field. I do not have a date for the report. The Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Noel Dempsey, told me yesterday that work is being done on it but it will take a few weeks. I understand it will be issued in the next number of weeks.

I do not have a date for the publishing of the criminal justice (trafficking in persons and sexual exploitation of children) Bill, but the legislation is being prepared.

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