Results 11,181-11,200 of 19,173 for speaker:Shane Ross

Topical Issue Debate: Rail Network (30 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: I thank the Deputy for the follow-up. The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport should, and does, work with those who are developing land and should keep up to date with the population projections and the building and development in the area in order to be able to adequately provide transport in advance or certainly prepare in advance for those sort of developments. I take the...

Topical Issue Debate: Rail Network (30 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: I have already said I will do it.

Topical Issue Debate: Rail Network (30 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: I thank Deputy Shane Cassells for raising this matter and for his kind invitation to visit Navan to see what happens there. I hope it will not be too early in the morning because it is quite a long way from where I will be travelling from but I would be happy to accept his invitation. That is my duty as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when Members take the trouble to come into the...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Bill 2016 (Seanad): Committee Stage (30 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: I move amendment No. 1:In page 5, to delete lines 16 and 17 and substitute the following:“(3) The collective citation “The Road Traffic Acts 1961 to 2016” includes this Act and Part 5 of the Vehicle Clamping Act 2015.”. The change being proposed to this citation of the Road Traffic Act is technical but necessary. The Bill currently says that the Road Traffic Act...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Bill 2016 (Seanad): Committee Stage (30 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: I move amendment No. 2:In page 5, between lines 21 and 22, to insert the following: “PART 2 REGISTER OF WRITTEN-OFF VEHICLESDefinition - Part 1 3. In this Part “vehicle insurer” has the meaning assigned to it in section 58 of the Road Traffic Act 1961.”. The issue of what to do about written-off vehicles has been talked about for a very long time. It has been...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Bill 2016 (Seanad): Committee Stage (30 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: I am delighted the Deputy asked that question. Shortly after I came into office I saw a "Prime Time" programme that dealt with the importation of written-off vehicles. We do not know the extent of it but it was quite alarming. I am determined to deal with it and I asked my officials to look at that. It is very complex. We are still looking at it and we are consulting the Attorney...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Bill 2016 (Seanad): Committee Stage (30 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: I move amendment No. 3:In page 5, between lines 21 and 22, to insert the following:"Vehicle insurer obligations 4. (1) A vehicle insurer, who as a result of an inspection of a mechanically propelled vehicle determines that such vehicle is defective to the extent that it is— (a) when in motion, a danger to the public, and (b) beyond repair, shall notify the Minister in accordance...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Bill 2016 (Seanad): Committee Stage (30 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: I move amendment No. 4:In page 5, between lines 21 and 22, to insert the following:"Offence of failure to notify 5. (1) A vehicle insurer who fails to notify the Minister in accordance with section 4* or who notifies information to the Minister knowing it to be false or misleading commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a class A fine. (2) Where an offence under this...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Bill 2016 (Seanad): Committee Stage (30 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: I move amendment No. 5:In page 5, between lines 21 and 22, to insert the following:"Publication of information provided by vehicle insurers 6. (1) The Minister may maintain records of information notified to him or her under section 4* and may, after consultation with any other person or body that the Minister considers appropriate, for the purposes of increasing road safety, publish or...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Bill 2016 (Seanad): Committee Stage (30 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: I move amendment No. 6:In page 6, line 28, to delete "it had been lawfully prescribed" and substitute "9 - Tetrahydrocannabinol had been lawfully prescribed".

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Bill 2016 (Seanad): Committee Stage (30 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: I appreciate the point of the Deputy's proposed amendment. It is superfluous because the new provisions I am proposing apply to limits exactly as do the existing ones for alcohol. If a person is actually impaired as a result of intoxicants, he or she will continue to be liable to prosecution under the existing provisions of the 2010 Act which make it an offence to drive or be in charge of a...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Bill 2016 (Seanad): Committee Stage (30 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: I do not think there is any need to as it is covered. I just asked the Deputy not to press the amendment because I think it is covered.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Bill 2016 (Seanad): Committee Stage (30 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: I am talking about driving while incapacitated, rather than a medical exemption certificate. I think we are talking at cross-purposes.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Bill 2016 (Seanad): Committee Stage (30 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: This is already fully covered by the 2010 Act.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Bill 2016 (Seanad): Committee Stage (30 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: It is apparently covered in sections 4A and 5A of the 2010 Act.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Bill 2016 (Seanad): Committee Stage (30 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: These are ambitious but understandable amendments. The approach the Department has taken with regard to the list of specified drugs is one that has been discussed in great detail with the MBRS. This Bill, in addressing drug driving, is not based on the MBRS report referred to by the Deputy but on more recent experience of the bureau on testing specimens for drugs and best international...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Bill 2016 (Seanad): Committee Stage (30 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: I accept the Deputy's point but it is very difficult to make these comparisons. It is very hard and I understand what the Deputy is saying. For all other drugs, the position remains that the presence of a drug plus intoxication to the extent of being unable to control the vehicle is an offence already. Under the existing impairment offence section of the 2010 Act, section 5, the Medical...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Bill 2016 (Seanad): Committee Stage (30 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: I can guarantee that the drugs on the list produced by the Deputies, as well as other substances, will be considered. This is under constant surveillance but we know from the MBRS that these three are the most commonly used drugs and in that context, the testing for them will be the easiest to implement. If that works, we will extend the list. We are quite prepared to look at that. In...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Bill 2016 (Seanad): Committee Stage (30 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: That is reasonable. I am not sure of the answer to that question but I can report to the Deputies on Report Stage or before then. There is no effort here to obstruct this, I can assure the committee. It is just a matter of deciding to go ahead with what we have got while continuing to consider other drugs. Even if we were to include some that are on the list now, we would still have to...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Traffic Bill 2016 (Seanad): Committee Stage (30 Nov 2016)

Shane Ross: I can give a commitment on a proposed timetable on Report Stage for when we can include some of these drugs and what we intend to do in terms of including other drugs in the future. I will outline what we are doing about it and what is happening within the Department. I do not know the details of all of the drugs and the potential harm that each one is doing. However, I will come back on...