Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

I welcome the Minister and I commend Deputy Dooley for tabling the two amendments in question. The first, that a member of the Garda Síochána shall, as soon as possible thereafter, require the provision of a sample of blood or urine at a place where medical care is provided to the person while amendment No. 2, would require the provision of a sample of blood or urine at a place where medical care is provided to the person. This reverts to the discussion on Committee Stage regarding two areas of the Bill which some people think are lacunae in the provisions.

The first are concerns drivers who are unconscious and the question of what are the appropriate steps for a member of the Garda Síochána to take at the scene of the collision. The Minister gave a commitment on Committee Stage to seek advice on the case of a driver involved in a collision who is in a serious medical condition or is unconscious. The Minister said that in his experience as a medical doctor he believed that unconscious patients are tested in any case so it would be possible to provide the requisite evidence of the state of the driver at the time of the collision. The Minister gave a commitment on Committee Stage that he would be prepared to act in the next road traffic Bill which he said is being prepared and which will deal with the training of young drivers. As regards badly injured or unconscious drivers, the concern is that a person may be feigning injury and may not be as seriously injured as is presented in the first example.

The two amendments seek to clarify what kind of follow-up strategy would be in place to deal with a collision resulting in a fatality or serious injury. I seek clarification on whether the Minister has also given a commitment that if for medical reasons a driver involved in a serious collision could not be tested at the scene that there would be a legal basis for ensuring that this issue is followed up either at a Garda station or in a hospital. I ask the Minister to confirm that he is prepared to address those issues in the next road traffic Bill and perhaps give the House a guarantee.

Sinn Féin colleagues referred to the issue of drug driving, an issue I pursued when I was my party's spokesperson on transport. I refer to the striking example of the Australian states, Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales, who seem to have a valid legal road side drug testing equipment and I ask the Minister to comment. I ask if the evidential testing machines will be ready for September.

I note from recent media reports, for example, a valuable report in yesterday's Irish Independent, that the Go Safe camera programme has resulted in 26,000 drivers being apprehended for speeding. Before the system was installed, only 9,500 drivers had been apprehended. The offence of speeding incurs a serious fine of two penalty points. I ask for the Minister's view on the appalling attacks on three of the camera vans. Many people would regard these attacks as being acts of attempted murder, in that staff who are contracted to work for the State were attacked by miscreants who are bitterly opposed to the monitoring of speed in areas where there have been serious accidents. These people are prepared to attempt to murder a servant of the people. Will the Minister and the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, take vigorous action to apprehend the culprits?

In this year to date, 61 citizens have been killed in horrific crashes. One year ago, the total was 55 persons so this year is turning out to be a worse year. The graph could start rising again, as it did in 2003 for three or four years before the present Road Safety Authority and the Minister's predecessor and the Labour Party mounted a strong campaign to address this problem.

I commend the two amendments and I ask the Minister to give a commitment to the House that on the passage of this Bill he will address these matters and also the appalling attacks on the camera vans.

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