Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I do not know whether it was a slip of the tongue or it was genuine but the Minister said initially that the NTA was going to bring forward proposals by the end of January and then he said it would be in the first quarter of 2017. He will then try to get Cabinet approval on the heads of a Bill and try to get space in what will be a tightly sought after space in the new year in terms of getting legislation through. I do not believe we can wait. This Bill was pretty much ready in the first quarter of 2016 and here we are in the dying hours of this Dáil term debating it in the hope that we can get it through before we adjourn. I accept the Minister's bona fides. I put my amendment forward in order that this proposal would be able to go through under this legislation, which in turn would enable the Minister to work with the NTA to bring forward regulations quite quickly. If a rickshaw is not a public service vehicle, then what is? The person who cycles or powers it is carrying members of the public. The public are using these vehicles and are paying to do so. That is a pubic service vehicle. The Minister said that this would have consequences in terms of drink driving. I do not believe that people in control of two or three passengers to the rear of them, whether it be on a bicycle powered by a battery, a motor or a pedal should be under the influence of alcohol in the same way as I do not believe a passenger in the back of a car or bus should be under the influence of alcohol.

This amendment was framed in a manner to enable us to progress this issue. It has been on the agenda too long. In 2013 Dublin City County brought forward by-laws. We are still talking about it and are not giving the authority to the NTA to bring forward regulations. We should move ahead with this amendment.

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