Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill.

I welcome the fact that the Minister has moved quickly to close the loophole in the penalty points legislation. If he had not, it would be a cause of embarrassment, especially if certain persons who had had serious breaches were driving around improperly.

I will use my time to mention two issues that need to be raised and two changes to the penalty points system that I hope the Minister will agree to make in the near future, although I understand that he cannot make them in this Bill.

The first relates to drivers who breach weight restrictions. I welcome the recent introduction of penalty points for drivers who breach weight restrictions where there is a safety issue, such as a weak bridge or other obstacle, but I would like to see penalty points introduced for drivers who breach traffic management weight restrictions by going through residential areas that they are not supposed to enter. Currently, such a penalty does not exist. I have been dealing with a number of cases in my constituency in which hauliers regularly drive large vehicles far in excess of the weight restriction and it is having an impact on the lives of residents. One example of this is Kennelsfort Road in Palmerstown in Dublin 20, where the local community council has been trying for more than 15 years to reduce the number of HGVs using the road illegally. The road is subject to a traffic management weight restriction and I have been in touch with the gardaí responsible on numerous occasions to try to ensure these restrictions are being enforced. I am sorry to say the current system is not working due to a combination of the lack of a deterrent and a lack of adequate enforcement. Obviously, enforcement is a matter for the Garda, not for the Minister, but the deterrent is in his domain. I ask that the Minister amend the penalty points system as soon as possible to bring in penalty points for a breach of traffic management weight restrictions. This will improve the quality of life for many residents around the country. After 15 years of trying to do something about it, the people of Palmerstown, and, indeed, Lucan, where a similar issue arises, deserve a little more support from the State when it comes to enforcing its own laws.

Second, I want to bring up the issue of fines for breaches of weight restrictions. Under the new regime, a breach of weight restrictions will be subject to a €60 fine and a single penalty point if the charge is paid within 28 days. This is not an effective enough deterrent to haulage companies, and I ask that there be higher fines for this. I understand the Minister will not be able to do it in this Bill, but I would be appreciative if he could introduce those changes in the near future.

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