Results 9,481-9,500 of 19,173 for speaker:Shane Ross

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)

Shane Ross: There is reference to specified driver numbers - 876, 604 - at 69%. 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)

Shane Ross: That should be 80 mg, yes. I am sorry.

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)

Shane Ross: That should be 80 mg, yes.

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)

Shane Ross: It should be "(50 mg to 80 mg)" there.

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)

Shane Ross: Yes.

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)

Shane Ross: I am sorry, the Chairman is quite right.

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)

Shane Ross: Yes.

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)

Shane Ross: Yes.

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)

Shane Ross: I am not sure. The Chairman is saying that only 18% go to court in the middle rank and he would anticipate more would 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)

Shane Ross: That is an interesting point.

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)

Shane Ross: That is a fair point. I am not sure whether that is the case but it is certainly a possibility. I cannot anticipate what they would do, which decision they would make.

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)

Shane Ross: I do not know. I accept the point the Chairman is making that one may get more drivers going to court as a result of this. It would not change my mind about the legislation but it would certainly increase the workload a little bit.

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)

Shane Ross: No. The absolute principle behind this is that disqualification will be for everybody, if one is drink driving. There is no question of considering increasing the penalty points here. That will not happen.

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)

Shane Ross: Everything would come under consideration but it is certainly not something which we, in our present frame of mind, would countenance.

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)

Shane Ross: 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)

Shane Ross: Yes.

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)

Shane Ross: If the Chairman is advocating that more drivers should be put off the road for speeding or automatic disqualification for speeding, that is an interesting suggestion. That is a radical suggestion. What the Chairman is saying will not change one's mind about alcohol but maybe he would like to put the case for shaking them up.

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)

Shane Ross: We are not really targeting the 51 mg to 80 mg bracket. We are trying to remove an anomaly, which should not have been there in the first place and which we undoubtedly think will save lives. If the Chairman thinks that more drivers should be disqualified for other offences, certainly that could be considered as well if it would save lives.

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)

Shane Ross: It is a perfectly fair suggestion that speed should be addressed as well. We can look at that for the next road safety Bill. At the moment, because the figures on alcohol have reached such critical levels and it is a reversal of a trend, we are addressing it in this very simple, quick Bill. We will certainly have a look at speed too.

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)

Shane Ross: I think we have agreed that it is a multifaceted approach. There are so many factors involved in road deaths and many of them are being addressed. Speed is one such factor. I am perfectly happy to look at the possibility of disqualifying people for speeding as well, particularly if the committee and the Chairman would like to have that examined. If it saves lives, let us look at it.