Results 8,681-8,700 of 15,510 for speaker:Brendan Griffin
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)
Brendan Griffin: Please.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)
Brendan Griffin: I call Senator Feighan.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)
Brendan Griffin: We will move on. I call Deputy O'Keeffe.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)
Brendan Griffin: As a number of members have indicated, we will group the last few questions. I call Deputy Fitzpatrick, followed by Deputy Troy and Senator Feighan.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)
Brendan Griffin: We are almost out of time. If I can get a few minutes of the Minister's time, I have a few issues I want to raise. I thank the Minister for the briefing documentation he has provided to committee members. It was extensive and interesting reading and I thank him for the effort that was made. On the issue of speed, HGVs have limiters of 100 km/h and so do certain large vehicles such as...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)
Brendan Griffin: Why is that? Why can we not lead the way in Europe in doing that? Too often, Europe is put forward as an obstacle. Is it something the Minister will look into again?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)
Brendan Griffin: I do not buy the European excuse that is often given out by so many Departments. This would be a very progressive measure as a cog in the wheel. It alone will not stop everything. When we met in July, I raised the use of GPS. For example, if a person does 80 km/h on an 80 km/h road or 50 km/h on a 50 km/h road, he or she will be okay but if someone does 80 km/h on a 50 km/h road, the GPS...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)
Brendan Griffin: Local authority speed limit reviews are taking far too long and costing far too much. Can we look at streamlining the legislation? We have many local authorities all over the country. I am speaking about my local authority in Kerry with which I have been raising concerns about this since 2009. It is now in the middle of a two-year speed limit review which we might not see implemented...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)
Brendan Griffin: It is being done on a county-wide basis. We are told that because of the need for economies of scale and public consultation, the council is only doing it on a county-wide basis yet there are glaringly obvious instances of roads in some parts of the county with a limit of 100 km/h which needs to be 60 km/h. It has to be lumped in with everything else and it is ridiculously slow. Is Kerry...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)
Brendan Griffin: Will the Minister refer back to the committee with information on that if any impediment we should be aware of that needs to be addressed for local authorities? The two-year review being carried out by Kerry County Council is far too long. The notion that it has to be on a county-wide basis or nothing is an impediment to addressing dangerous locations. The Minister might give us...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)
Brendan Griffin: On the issue of drink driving, Senator Feighan referred to the use of technology. I have raised the issue of alco-locks previously with the Minister. It is an area we are told has to be part of a European movement. Can we not lead the way as a country on that? The vast majority of people will comply with the law but there will always be people who will not. Can we not implement that as...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)
Brendan Griffin: We need to look at a cultural shift in which it is done for every vehicle. Things that were seen as socially unacceptable in the 1970s in terms of road safety are now seen as absolutely normal. At that time, there were more than 600 people dying on our roads every year. We need to be ahead of the population on road safety measures. It is something I encourage. The Minister might look...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)
Brendan Griffin: It could be a really good news story for rural communities.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)
Brendan Griffin: Yes.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)
Brendan Griffin: I had no shortage of volunteers. People were very happy to do it. Many older people, in particular, would have benefitted from this.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)
Brendan Griffin: On the drink issue, the 50 mg to 80 mg blood alcohol concentration is a question in the proposed legislation. What evidence is there to suggest that that particular cohort is the cause of increased road fatalities or accidents?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)
Brendan Griffin: What evidence is there that it is the cause of increased road fatalities or serious accidents? Are we making these changes based on evidence?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)
Brendan Griffin: There is a derogation at present. It applies to people who are found to have a blood alcohol concentration in that range. A penalty points option applies as distinct from a court appearance. What evidence is there to suggest that the cohort of people with a BAC in this range are the cause of accidents or are responsible for an increase in road fatalities?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)
Brendan Griffin: If that is the case, why is there any limit? Why does it apply to those with a BAC of between 50 mg and 80 mg? Why target that bracket?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)
Brendan Griffin: What evidence is there to suggest a need for that?