Results 11,721-11,740 of 13,270 for speaker:Pat Gallagher

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages. (15 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I thank the Senators who took an interest in this important legislation. I am sure it will receive the same level of co-operation in the other House as it received from the Opposition parties in this House. We need to ensure that this important Bill is enacted before the summer recess. Several Bills relating to road traffic law have been enacted in recent years, including the Bill that...

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed). (14 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: The purpose of the inclusion of Part 8 to the First Schedule to the Road Traffic Act is to make the offence of not having a valid certificate of roadworthiness for a commercial vehicle a penalty point offence. Part 8 removes the anomaly in this offence, as the equivalent offence for not having a valid NCT certificate for a car has been listed as a penalty point offence since 2002. The penalty...

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed). (14 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: For the information of the House, I wish to advise that I intend to bring forward two amendments to this section on Report Stage.

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed). (14 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: These amendments complement the powers being given to the Garda in the Bill to impound cars and commercial vehicles which do not have a valid NCT and certificate of roadworthiness, respectively. The amendments will enable the Garda to also impound EU registered vehicles that do not have a current certificate of roadworthiness from their home member state.

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed). (14 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: Yes. I apologise, I am advised it must be obtained in the country where the vehicle is registered. The owners of the vehicles would have to register their cars in this country, which it is possible for them to do.

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed). (14 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: They can do so by way of transfer of residence or by paying the relevant importation fees in terms of VAT and VRT. They can secure a certificate in their country or they can register the vehicle here.

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed). (14 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: Council Directive 96/96/EC specifies clearly the categories of vehicles liable to testing, the minimum frequency of testing of vehicles, the times they must be tested and the arrangements for testing. The directive requires that a vehicle liable to roadworthiness testing must be tested in the member state in which it is registered and that proof of passing a roadworthiness test issued by that...

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed). (14 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I am advised it is a matter for each member state to decide on its own practical arrangements. A sensible arrangement is in place here whereby the certificate is required to be displayed on the windscreen of the vehicle, but if that is not the practice or law in another member state, we cannot compel foreign motorists to do that. However, a motorist must have such a certificate in his or her...

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed). (14 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: This amendment to section 21 provides for amendments of substantive provisions contained in sections 24 and 36 of the Taxi Regulation Act 2003, as amended by section 36 of the Road Traffic Act 2004. Establishment and commencement orders in respect of the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Act 2003 are made under the relevant provisions of the 2003 Act and accordingly, the Bill does not provide...

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed). (14 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: Section 21 provides for amendments of substantive provisions contained in sections 24 and 36 of the regulations of 2003, as amended by section 36 of the Road Traffic Act, as I noted earlier. Section 24 of the 2003 Act was commenced with the establishment of the Commission for Taxi Regulation and the amendments to section 36 will have effect on the date of commencement of the relevant...

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed). (14 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: Section 8 recognises foreign licences and provides that the Minister may, by order, recognise a driving licence issued by another country for the purpose of exchanging it for an Irish one. This does not happen automatically. Driving licence exchange arrangements operate in respect of licences issued by member states of the European Union and European Economic Area. These arrangements are...

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed). (14 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: On can drive with the French licence if one wishes. A tourist would not be anxious to forfeit his or her French licence just as an Irish citizen on holidays in France would not be anxious to forfeit his or her Irish licence. One cannot hold more than one licence and one must forfeit one or the other.

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed). (14 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: The penalty points are recorded in the national driver file for the purpose of having them on record but they are not recognised by the French authorities.

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed). (14 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: If he accumulates 12 points, he is disqualified from driving on Irish roads.

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed). (14 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: Yes.

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed). (14 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: It will be done by regulation.

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed). (14 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I am accepting the amendment and I thank the Senator for bringing the matter to my attention.

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed). (14 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: I understand the Senator's motivation for tabling this amendment but the existing provision is sufficiently broad to allow regulations to be made that specify the procedure and checks that must be in place to ensure that not more than one licence can be issued in respect of a given licence category. The proposed amendment would be somewhat restrictive and confined to certain systems. It may...

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed). (14 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: Paragraph (p) outlines the fees licensed instructors may charge for such courses of instruction. This enables the fees to be charged by driving instructors for compulsory courses of instruction to be regulated. The main purpose of the provisions in the previous paragraphs (m), (n), (o) and also (p) is to provide for the introduction of compulsory initial practical training for motor cyclists....

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed). (14 Jun 2006)

Pat Gallagher: That provision for a charge already exists. I believe it is €6 if one requires this information.