Results 7,561-7,580 of 15,510 for speaker:Brendan Griffin

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Site Visits (17 May 2017)

Brendan Griffin: 278. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of visits to County Kerry by prospective Industrial Development Agency Ireland companies in 2016; the details of these visits; her views on this level of visitation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23569/17]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Business of Joint Committee (17 May 2017)

Brendan Griffin: Before we begin, I remind members and witnesses to switch off their mobile phones. On behalf of the joint committee, I offer our sympathy and condolences to the Vice Chairman, Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe, whose mother, Anna Theresa, passed away at the weekend and is being buried today. May she rest in peace.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Business of Joint Committee (17 May 2017)

Brendan Griffin: The committee met in private session last week to consider EU proposal COM (2017) 136 concerning intelligent transport systems and delegated Acts. The committee agreed the following decision, that there are no subsidiarity concerns with this proposal. Furthermore, it was agreed that the proposal does not warrant further scrutiny. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (17 May 2017)

Brendan Griffin: I welcome Ms Moyagh Murdock, chief executive officer, and Ms Velma Burns, research manager, of the Road Safety Authority, RSA. This is the latest in a number of meetings we have had on this particular matter. In accordance with procedure, I wish to advise the witnesses that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (17 May 2017)

Brendan Griffin: I call Ms Velma Burns to make her statement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (17 May 2017)

Brendan Griffin: I call the members of the Fine Gael grouping, who have 15 minutes, although there will be adequate time available to allow every member ask questions. The members of the Fine Gael grouping may share the 15 minutes among themselves as they wish.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (17 May 2017)

Brendan Griffin: Does Senator O'Mahony want to use the couple of minutes left in this slot or would he prefer a proper slot of his own after we go to the other members? Would he prefer to defer it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (17 May 2017)

Brendan Griffin: We have Senator O'Sullivan, Deputy Munster, Deputy Murphy and then it will be back to Deputy O'Mahony's group.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (17 May 2017)

Brendan Griffin: I asked the Fine Gael grouping to share the time among its members as they wish. That is a matter for the grouping.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (17 May 2017)

Brendan Griffin: We have had just over ten minutes. We will go to Senator O'Sullivan for ten minutes and we will have ten minutes for each member in the above order.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (17 May 2017)

Brendan Griffin: There is one minute.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (17 May 2017)

Brendan Griffin: We will have to discuss it in private session.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (17 May 2017)

Brendan Griffin: I thank Ms Murdock for appearing. To clarify, in her previous correspondence she expressed disappointment at the refusal of the Chairman to consider her request. That is absolutely incorrect. That is not the case. First, it is not within my remit as Chairman to refuse or-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (17 May 2017)

Brendan Griffin: It is the committee that decides. I can assure Ms Murdock that her requests were considered on a number of occasions. There was no unequivocal refusal to invite Ms Murdock before the committee. It is important to state that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (17 May 2017)

Brendan Griffin: Those documents are on the public record and it is important that they are accurate.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (17 May 2017)

Brendan Griffin: It is important to clarify that I, as Chairman, did not refuse to consider Ms Murdock’s request. Does Ms Murdock see this as the most effective piece of road safety legislation that could be introduced right now to reduce road deaths?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (17 May 2017)

Brendan Griffin: The 2008 to 2012 analysis shows that the 51 mg to 80 mg cohort is responsible for 5.6% of the analysed fatalities. If one also subtracts the 20 mg to 50 mg bracket one is still looking at more than 80% of fatalities caused by other drink drivers. Would it not be far more productive in terms of saving lives to focus on the 80%, the vast majority? That is within the context of drink driving...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (17 May 2017)

Brendan Griffin: Based on the authority's own figures, the logic of the argument is that people are being killed by drivers who register between 51 mg and 80 mg but according to the figures from 2008 and 2012, surely what the RSA should be advocating is that the limit in the legislation would be 20 mg because the numbers between 21 mg and 50 mg are higher than in the 50 mg to 80 mg category? There is no...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (17 May 2017)

Brendan Griffin: Is Ms Murdock not overlooking the fact that in 2008 to 2012, inclusive, 19 people were killed by drivers registering 21 mg to 50 mg of alcohol?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (17 May 2017)

Brendan Griffin: But not for every driver. The Minister's argument is that there was an anomaly in the punishment for the 50 mg to 80 mg category.