Results 8,121-8,140 of 15,510 for speaker:Brendan Griffin

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (5 Apr 2017)

Brendan Griffin: According to my calculations, in a total of 3,003 fixed penalty notices over five years, the average figure is lower than the 650 fixed penalty notices issued in 2012 which, coincidentally, was the safest year on our roads and where we also had the highest number of drink driving arrests. Using the number of arrests and the number of fixed penalty notices decisions made by motorists is not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (5 Apr 2017)

Brendan Griffin: For drivers who are caught in the 50 mg to 80 mg range bracket, is being caught a deterrent to reoffending? It would interesting to get those figures. It would help inform the debate on this topic. It would be helpful if we could get a breakdown of the subsequent readings. Did they subsequently become specified drivers? Were they found to be in the 20 mg to 50 mg, 50 mg to 80 mg, 80 mg...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (5 Apr 2017)

Brendan Griffin: I imagine they should be. Those figures would be useful to gauge the effectiveness or otherwise of the fixed penalty notice change in the law since October 2010 in terms of drivers reoffending.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (5 Apr 2017)

Brendan Griffin: If I might continue, it would be very helpful if the Minister could search for those figures and provide them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (5 Apr 2017)

Brendan Griffin: It would be important to have those figures. The 20 mg level was introduced for specified drivers, namely, learner, novice and professional drivers. The Minister made the point that the number of young drivers being detected for drink driving is rising, but a higher proportion of young drivers are learner and novice drivers and many male drivers, for example, tradesman, would be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (5 Apr 2017)

Brendan Griffin: I am not asking that. I wonder could it be an explanation for the change in the demographic proportions in terms of the breakdown of drink drivers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (5 Apr 2017)

Brendan Griffin: Given that we have seen an increase in young drivers drink driving, we have also seen a decrease in their limit, and also for predominantly males, for example, in the trades. We have also seen a higher level in terms of males. It is something that needs to be factored into the discussion.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (5 Apr 2017)

Brendan Griffin: I am conscious that throughout this discussion over the last number of months the Minister has been talking about trying to harmonise the law on penalties here. I am conscious also that we have staggered levels as well. We have the 20 mg level and the 50 mg level. Is that the Department's next move? Is having a universal 20 mg level as distinct from having a stepped approach something the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (5 Apr 2017)

Brendan Griffin: Has the Minister discussed that with officials in the Departments?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (5 Apr 2017)

Brendan Griffin: I have a question with reference to the regulatory impact analysis, Appendix 1, page 9. If the Minister will look there at the fourth table, I seek clarification on something here. What percentage of drivers currently are detected in the 80 mg to 100 mg bracket for normal drivers. I use the word "normal", but it is "Non-specified". It is also referred to as "normal" here as well in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (5 Apr 2017)

Brendan Griffin: Okay. On the next one here, I have a question. It says, "Non-specified drivers (50 mg to 100 mg)". Is there an anomaly there? Should that be 80 mg?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (5 Apr 2017)

Brendan Griffin: For the 2012 to 2015 period, is that correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (5 Apr 2017)

Brendan Griffin: That is 80 mg. That is a high rate of 82% of drivers who resort to the fixed penalty notice.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (5 Apr 2017)

Brendan Griffin: It should read "(50 mg to 80 mg)".

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (5 Apr 2017)

Brendan Griffin: Okay. I was studying this and I was a bit confused-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (5 Apr 2017)

Brendan Griffin: -----because it then says, "(80 mg to 100 mg)", "1380", "75%".

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (5 Apr 2017)

Brendan Griffin: On the top level, specified drivers, 69%, and therefore, the remaining drivers decide to go to court.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (5 Apr 2017)

Brendan Griffin: On the bottom one, at 75%, "Non-specified drivers (80 mg to 100 mg)", the other 25% decide to go to court. It is interesting that the middle table, the 50 mg to 80 mg where we have the highest rate, only 18% decide to go to court. This is what we are proposing to change now. That is the only one where there is not an automatic disqualification. The question I want to get to is this....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (5 Apr 2017)

Brendan Griffin: I looked at the various punishments related to this. There is the three-months automatic disqualification but in that same category, the minimum court punishment is six months. I wonder will more drivers chance going to court because it is either three months off the road or six months off the road. If one is off the road, one is off the road. It is something that should be factored in as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty - Drink Driving) Bill 2017: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (5 Apr 2017)

Brendan Griffin: I think there will be more court cases.