Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)

That backlog could last forever. Section 6 revises upwards the penalties applying to drink driving offences. The period of time in which a licence is suspended upon conviction for drink driving has been extended to a minimum of one year in all cases, depending on the concentration of alcohol found in a person's blood. The provisions in the principal Act allow judges to hand down lower sentences in special circumstances. I am not sure about the wisdom of that. The maximum penalty is four years for a first offence and six years for a second. Why have sentences been capped at six years? No distinction appears to have been made between licence categories. For example, heavy goods vehicle and bus drivers, who could do enormous damage, are being treated the same as car drivers. The penalties imposed on the former should be much more severe.

Section 7 allows a driver to apply for a reduction in his or her period of disqualification. I have concerns about this provision and will table amendments to it. However, I welcome the fact that gardaí will now be able to seize uninsured foreign registered cars.

Section 10 does not provide for post-licensing restrictions. The experience of other countries indicates that the critical period in terms of accident risk for drivers is the first four to seven months after passing the test. It is generally agreed that drivers should be restricted during the first 12 months of qualification. I will propose amendments for such restrictions, which are already in place in other European countries. This section does not provide for the demotion of drivers to learner status as a penalty, even though such a penalty could act as a severe deterrent.

Section 12 sets out a penalty of €1,000 for driving for up to 12 months without renewing a licence and €2,000 in respect of driving for longer than 12 months. It also sets out penalties for driving while disqualified and provides for another category of person who will be required to produce a certificate of competency or fitness before obtaining a driving licence. However, that provision is somewhat ambiguous. A distinction should be made between drivers of cars and those who drive heavy vehicles.

See this speech in context