Results 4,861-4,880 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen

Road Traffic Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Report Stage. (5 Jul 2006)

Martin Cullen: I understand where the Deputy is coming from. The fallout from recent Supreme Court rulings has made everyone in the House very familiar with the importance of providing reasonable defences for offences in legislation. Subsection (7) has been drafted so that the use of a hand-held phone would be considered permissible in two circumstances only. The first would be a call to the Garda or the...

Road Traffic Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (5 Jul 2006)

Martin Cullen: This matter was discussed on Committee Stage and I said we would return to it on Report Stage. I understand the motives of Deputy Shortall and other Deputies in tabling these amendments. I share their concerns about modifications to windscreens and side windows that result in excessively blacked out windows. However, regulating for the control of modifications to the glazing of motor vehicles...

Road Traffic Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (5 Jul 2006)

Martin Cullen: I wish to make it clear that I will deal with the glazing issue. I just set out the backdrop with regard to Europe.

Road Traffic Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (5 Jul 2006)

Martin Cullen: The difficulty certainly relates to the standards set at European level. Notwithstanding that, we can look at the issue.

Road Traffic Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (5 Jul 2006)

Martin Cullen: Yes. There appears to be much conflict with regard to the tinting being done, much of which is non-type approved. We can try to deal with this area. Even if I do not get agreement, I agree with the Deputy it is the right thing to do and I think we should do it. If we get enough of a consensus to make it work, I will move ahead with it.

Road Traffic Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (5 Jul 2006)

Martin Cullen: Section 4 of the Bill outlines the scheme for roadside alcohol testing, known as mandatory alcohol testing, and the legal basis for the establishment and operation of Garda checkpoints. Mandatory alcohol tests can only be pursued on the specific written authorisation of an officer of the Garda not below the rank of inspector. That authorisation must be in writing and must clearly establish...

Road Traffic Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (5 Jul 2006)

Martin Cullen: I have not seen the guidelines. They will be an operational matter for the Garda.

Road Traffic Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (5 Jul 2006)

Martin Cullen: I do not have a set of guidelines now.

Road Traffic Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (5 Jul 2006)

Martin Cullen: I agree with the Deputy. There has to be transparency. It would be helpful if people in any area could expect a defined number of checkpoints and they should be informed at the end of every quarter or period of time that these checkpoints have been set up. I would be interested in the statistics of the number of people caught randomly as opposed to the previous way. The Road Safety Authority...

Road Traffic Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (5 Jul 2006)

Martin Cullen: The purpose of this amendment is to reduce the legal thresholds of the amount of alcohol a person driving a mechanically propelled vehicle may consume before he or she is committing an offence. It would introduce a reduced blood alcohol level for drivers on provisional licences. For the sake of clarification I point out there is an offence relating to drink driving that does not refer to any...

Road Traffic Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (5 Jul 2006)

Martin Cullen: I am just letting the Deputy know the mixed views we are getting on the issue, that it would be all wrong and grossly unfair to young people to do this to them.

Road Traffic Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (5 Jul 2006)

Martin Cullen: I have no problem leading. This Bill has been described as the most radical move in road safety policy for a long time. It contains provisions for random alcohol testing, which nobody ever believed would be introduced in this country.

Road Traffic Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (5 Jul 2006)

Martin Cullen: We will see. We have done and are doing a good job on the legislation and I expect to see the results carried through to practical application. Deputies Cowley and Shortall have correctly made the point that young people are drinking excessively and wrapping their cars around trees. If these people ignore the 80 milligram per 100 millilitre blood alcohol limit, they will not pay much...

Road Traffic Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (5 Jul 2006)

Martin Cullen: My personal view, and I believe that of the Deputy, is that the issue concerns enforcement and the belief that one may be caught. It will clearly involve a culture change. People will need to see that it is no longer acceptable in Irish society to go out on the road half out of one's mind with drink, risking one's own life among others. We must get that message through, as we have in other...

Road Traffic Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (5 Jul 2006)

Martin Cullen: It is a matter for consideration.

Road Traffic Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (5 Jul 2006)

Martin Cullen: I spoke on this at length on Committee Stage and I consulted the Road Safety Authority, which is drafting the new road safety strategy that comes into being next year. It is doing that with some urgency as a new strategy has to be in place when the current strategy ends at the end of this year. That is the timeframe and work is already being done on it.

Road Traffic Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (5 Jul 2006)

Martin Cullen: I will wait for the recommendations. I will not ask the authority to do a job and then do it myself. It would be wrong to pre-empt the authority, ask them to do something and then decide what it is, irrespective of what the authority believes. It will come back with a strategy which I hope we will all discuss. All or part of it may require legislation, and we will provide that. I have the...

Road Traffic Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (5 Jul 2006)

Martin Cullen: I agree with the Deputy. There is no disagreement between Deputies on any side of the House on this issue. It is astonishing that 53.6% of people who gave blood and urine samples in this area were over twice the legal limit. It is criminal beyond belief. Unfortunately, we see the results on our roads.

Road Traffic Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (5 Jul 2006)

Martin Cullen: A Leas-Cheann Comhairle——

Road Traffic Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (5 Jul 2006)

Martin Cullen: I rest my case.