Results 61-80 of 326 for garda speaker:Jack Chambers

Road Safety: Statements (26 Oct 2023)

Jack Chambers: ...safety, including the roll-out of variable speed limits in response to adverse conditions, the further use of cameras to support safety, and measures to reduce the number of uninsured drivers and assist An Garda Síochána in its enforcement of road traffic legislation. Another priority is to review our national driver testing curriculum and service in order that they are fit for...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Legislative Process (25 Oct 2023)

Jack Chambers: The Programme for Government commits to enhancing the powers of An Garda Síochána to limit the antisocial use of scramblers and quadbikes, including through legislation if necessary. The Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 was signed into law by the President on the 23 June 2023. Among its provisions, the Act aims to adequately tackle the antisocial use of scramblers and quadbikes via...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety: Discussion (25 Oct 2023)

Jack Chambers: ...enforcement, increased driver education, infrastructural improvements and legislative reform. On enforcement, research by the Road Safety Authority, RSA, confirms that drivers rank having more gardaí on the roads as the single most influential factor that would encourage them to stop speeding or using mobile phones. There has been a decrease in the number of offences detected in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety: Discussion (25 Oct 2023)

Jack Chambers: ...public statement I have made, I have referred to strengthening enforcement. We must match progress on legislative reform in parallel with improved enforcement. We have engaged on that with the Garda Commissioner and the Minister for Justice. There must be a perception of detection among the public for the overall paradigm of offences to be workable. That is an ongoing focus for me as I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety: Discussion (25 Oct 2023)

Jack Chambers: My understanding is that An Garda Síochána sought to maximise the opportunities with GoSafe. The possibility through the contract was to increase by up to 20%.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety: Discussion (25 Oct 2023)

Jack Chambers: The Garda will be able to give further information on that. It is recruiting additional personnel to run the GoSafe vans and procuring additional vehicles to maximise the opportunities through GoSafe. I agree that if there is further capability to do more there, that should be pursued. My understanding, however, is that the Garda has sought to reach the upper end of what is possible...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety: Discussion (25 Oct 2023)

Jack Chambers: .... In addition, 37% of driver fatalities had a positive toxicology for alcohol during the same period, which also demonstrates the scale of intoxicated driving in the State. On mandatory testing, gardaí often do drug testing but making it mandatory in the legislation will make a difference. On data, if the Deputy recalls some of the campaigns run by An Garda Síochána in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety: Discussion (25 Oct 2023)

Jack Chambers: ...sought to prioritise a number of key actions this year. Regarding the Leas-Chathaoirleach's point on technology, we are strengthening the technological piece with the Department of Justice and An Garda Síochána in the provision of GoSafe vans. We have also worked with Transport Infrastructure Ireland on how we can broaden the technological offering we have. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety: Discussion (25 Oct 2023)

Jack Chambers: ...'s point about enforcement, I said earlier that we must increase recruitment. We are trying to strengthen roads policing units and I am advocating for the improved deployment of members of An Garda Síochána to roads policing because these units have a central role in improving deterrence and as a preventative factor in terms of poor driver behaviour. GoSafe plays a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety: Discussion (25 Oct 2023)

Jack Chambers: The data are there. An Garda Síochána is intercepting and detecting-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety: Discussion (25 Oct 2023)

Jack Chambers: ...are male this year, while 49% of overall fatalities are among people aged 35 and under. Approximately 14% of fatalities are between 16 and 20. We can combine these data with what we know from Garda toxicology evidence covering the period 2015 to 2019, which is that 37% of driver fatalities had a positive toxicology for alcohol, 13% had a positive toxicology for cocaine and 7% had a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety: Discussion (25 Oct 2023)

Jack Chambers: ...progress on that. The first issue identified, which has been resolved, is whether it required further legislative change. Section 81 of the Road Traffic Act provides for the use of cameras by the Garda to assist in the detection of certain offences. There has been clarification around that. Work will be presented to me in November. At the November meeting of the road safety...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety: Discussion (25 Oct 2023)

Jack Chambers: ...this point. Turning to the issue of collision data, its publication and access to information and data in this regard, we are trying to bring this aspect to a conclusion. This involves An Garda Síochána, the RSA and the Department of Transport. We are also working with the Data Protection Commissioner on trying to conclude this matter. I am aware that many in the academic...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety: Discussion (25 Oct 2023)

Jack Chambers: ...the schools built today are fit for the future to enable active travel in respect of how they are being built. We are getting engagement in this regard. Moving to the Deputy's point about the Garda Commissioner and submissions relating to the matter he referred to, there is a plan to establish an online portal to allow the reporting of incidents as part of a suite of introductions...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Authority (24 Oct 2023)

Jack Chambers: ...as local authorities. It is essential, therefore, that the RSA has a clear legal basis behind the sharing and receipt of data that it uses in its work. The RSA receives collision data from An Garda Síochána, which is required to enable local authorities to target investment appropriately, for example by providing funding to address sections of road with high levels of...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Penalty Points System (24 Oct 2023)

Jack Chambers: ...the Deputy's query to the Authority for direct reply and I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days. I understand that the RSA has made An Garda Síochána aware that some vehicle owners have encountered issues securing an NCT appointment over the last year. Motorists should keep a record of their upcoming test date in their...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Electric Vehicles (24 Oct 2023)

Jack Chambers: ...public and stakeholder consultations to inform the drafting of Irish regulatory and technical requirements, including with the Road Safety Authority, the National Transport Authority, An Garda Síochána, local government and a range of industry, advocacy and accessibility groups. The 2023 Road Traffic and Roads Act has established a new vehicle class, powered personal...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Legislative Measures (24 Oct 2023)

Jack Chambers: The Programme for Government commits to enhancing the powers of An Garda Síochána to limit the antisocial use of scramblers and quad bikes, including through legislation if necessary. The Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 was signed into law by the President on the 23 June 2023. Among its provisions, the Act aims to adequately tackle the antisocial use of scramblers and quad bikes via...