Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

The Minister for Transport has announced a further 31 penalty point offences, which will bring the total number to 35. We are establishing a road safety authority and bringing forward a Bill to provide private speed cameras. Cameras must be properly located at accident black spots. A new system must be designed to save lives, not raise revenues. A point was made in this House in recent weeks about that matter. Camera suppliers must be answerable to the Garda.

We are introducing legislation to provide for the establishment of random breath testing, to which drivers will be required to submit. What we said last week and what has been given to the Garda has not created any confusion other than people wanting to raise a point about it. The only argument is people trying to say the Garda cannot have random check points. The Garda can have random check points. It is a different issue to random breath testing and we are making the legal provision so they can have random breath testing. The Attorney General has given his views to the Garda. The Commissioner has been before a committee of the Houses and said the Garda is satisfied with the position. We must now bring it forward in legislation.

We have established a high level road safety group to co-ordinate the Ministers for Transport, Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Finance, Health and Children and Education and Science. I have already convened that meeting. We must also appeal to the public to take account of these issues as I can see what will happen very quickly. We are putting a large number of gardaí on the roads who will set up check points. It will be very difficult for ordinary law abiding people on the roads, who will see a far greater number of gardaí. Unfortunately, if we have the number of road deaths that we do, we must impose this measure without fear or favour.

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