Results 1,061-1,080 of 1,683 for speaker:Derek McDowell

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Derek McDowell: I asked a question last week on Second Stage but if the Minister of State responded I was not here and apologise. Is it possible to make special provision for speed limits in bad weather, especially for motorways? It is a standard provision in mainland Europe that the speed limit is lower in those circumstances.

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Derek McDowell: I do not understand aspects of this section, which provides for transitional arrangements. Subsection (1) is clear, but I read subsections (2) and (3) several times and am not entirely sure what they mean. If a local authority is slow to replace particular signs, so they still show miles per hour, does that mean the old speed limit still applies rather than the new limit? Alternatively, does...

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Derek McDowell: If I find some old signs on 20 or 21 January, how much will the Department pay me?

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Derek McDowell: I do not wish to sound too cynical, but it has been 25 years or so since the decision was taken in principle to change signage to metric. We still have not done so in most parts of the country. It will be a logistical nightmare to replace tens of thousands of signs within three days. Assuming we do not succeed in replacing them all, what will be the status of the old signs after 20 January?

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Derek McDowell: Each and every one of them?

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Derek McDowell: I would be obliged if the Minister of State would talk us through how the process will work. I appreciate that the section refers to contracting out only the administrative part of the function, but I am not clear where such administration will stop and decision making will start. What will happen to the database of information? If we contract out the serving of notices and so on, presumably...

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Derek McDowell: I presume prosecution in cases of default of payment of the fixed charge will also fall to the Garda Síochána, or will that not be the case?

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Derek McDowell: I would have thought that function could not be contracted out.

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Derek McDowell: Stopping a motorist for speeding and advising the motorist of the fine involved and the penalty points incurred is a matter for the Garda Síochána. If a fixed payment is not paid by the motorist in question, I presume that information will come back to the Garda Síochána, presumably from the contractor in question? Will the contractor report if the fine has not been paid?

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Derek McDowell: Is that the way it will happen?

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Derek McDowell: Does the Minister of State have a company in mind for this contract or does the Department plan to tender for it?

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Derek McDowell: Is it the case that all such a contractor will do is serve the notice and report to the Garda Síochána whether the fine has been paid?

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Derek McDowell: The contractor will report to the fines office or whoever deals with that work.

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Derek McDowell: Will the contractor maintain a database of the number of people on whom it served notices?

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Derek McDowell: Will it share that information with the Garda Síochána? Will it be available to the Garda Síochána or will it be separate from its PULSE system?

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Derek McDowell: Is it intended that this work will be administered from Garda headquarters or will it be administered by a private company?

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Derek McDowell: What does that mean?

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Derek McDowell: I am confused. Will the Minister of State start with the situation where I am stopped by the garda and finish with when I am convicted in court for not having paid the fixed penalty? How does the process work?

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Derek McDowell: I am out of practice.

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Derek McDowell: My problem is that I do not understand what is meant by administering the fixed charge collection. If a garda stops me and tells me I am speeding and writes out a note, what does he do then?