Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister of State for his statement. I also thank Deputy O'Dowd for bringing this important motion before the House. It recognises that the impact of the penalty points system has been extremely welcome but notes with concern the weaknesses in enforcing the system that have led to a reduction in its impact on driver behaviour.

Any Government in Ireland faces a tough task in tackling road deaths and introducing road safety measures. We have a chequered past in terms of our efforts to recognise and solve this problem. Drink-driving and speeding were almost a way of life. Most no longer drive after drinking but, for many, the disincentive is less the fear of killing an innocent bystander, passenger or themselves and more the prospect of losing their licence or being subject to higher insurance premia. Our ambivalent attitude towards road safety has in recent years been replaced by generally more careful and concerned driver behaviour.

We all recall the dramatic positive effect of the introduction of penalty points on driver behaviour, with a 20% reduction in road deaths by December 2002. However, we seem to have lost the plot since. The question we must consider is why motorists began to speed again. Perhaps it is because they learned that enforcement of the system was not effective. There is no doubt that changes are required in the operation of the system.

Businesses throughout the State are concerned with offering a consumer-friendly and, in many cases, 24-hour service. Banks, for example, offer customers direct debit facilities and so on to make banking easier and more convenient. The penalty points system, on the other hand, is inconvenient and ineffective. There are inefficiencies in collecting data such that defendants are requested to bring their driving licences to court. As a publican, I appeared in court to answer charges of facilitating after-hours drinking and found it to be a harrowing experience. Court should always be the last resort. We must look more carefully at keeping people out of the courts system in the matter of penalty point fines. Everything should be done to ensure the system is consumer-friendly and efficient. I have no difficulties with fines being increased but court should be the last resort.

Up to 80,000 people have not paid their fines on time. This suggests there is something fundamentally wrong with the system. Deputy O'Dowd's motion seeks to address this imbalance and ensure the system is more user-friendly. The speed camera network has been promised for a long time and its inception, by late 2008, will be welcome. However, the increased provision of cameras will lead to the imposition of many more fines. This, in turn, will lead to an increased number of defaults that will clog up the courts system. This represents a waste of Garda resources and time. An independent entity should run the system on behalf of the Garda.

On the journey from the west to Dublin one encounters a motorway at Mullingar. It is nice to drive at 100 km/h and overtake as required. On a single lane carriageway, however, one may encounter lorries, drivers of which will not pull in to allow other motorists to overtake. I think it is against the law for them not to drive in the slow lane. People trying to overtake these are taking their lives in their hands because the vehicles are travelling at 30 mph. It can take nearly twice as long to get from my town to Mullingar, which is halfway to Dublin, than it takes to get from Mullingar to here.

It would be like shooting ducks in a barrel to put a speed camera in such a location and capture a car passing out a lorry. To overtake, a car might have to go to 60 mph or 70 mph and would effectively be breaking the law. There are many anomalies and until we upgrade the road network, it will be unfair on people without access to a better road transport system.

Outstanding fines could be collected through the car tax renewal process. We all have bank accounts or credit cards and perhaps fines should be added to the car tax renewal cost, even with a late penalty added. Fines can be increased but people should be kept out of court.

We fundamentally support the penalty points system and the downward trend in road deaths. The law should be amended and I commend my colleague, Deputy Fergus O'Dowd, for bringing this very important motion before the House.

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