Results 1-12 of 12 for drugs segment:8734490
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety: Discussion (25 Oct 2023)
Jack Chambers: ...of dangerous road behaviour. This is aligned with Action 30 of the road safety strategy. While the recommendations on penalty points from that group are contained in the Bill, it also contains proposals on mandatory drug testing and the introduction of safer speed limit defaults following the publication of the speed limit review last month. These are all areas in which I believe we can...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety: Discussion (25 Oct 2023)
Jack Chambers: ...offences in that speed was still a central factor. We know that the trend during Covid and even after continued in terms of the incidence of intoxicated driving. The consumption of alcohol and drugs is still a significant factor. That trend is continuing again this year. Distracted driving is a serious issue. Research by the RSA has analysed driver behaviour post the pandemic, which...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety: Discussion (25 Oct 2023)
Jack Chambers: ...injured over that weekend in the past five years. We know that over the May bank holiday weekend in 2022 there were 2,800 speed incidents, 154 motorists driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and 91 drivers not wearing a seatbelt. The June bank holiday weekend, since 2018, has seen 20 fatalities and 94 serious injuries. When this was studied, and when they changed this in...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety: Discussion (25 Oct 2023)
Michael Lowry: ...the Vice Chair for giving me his slot. I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for the synopsis and summary of the legislation which he wishes the Oireachtas to enact. I welcome mandatory drug testing. I have the impression, as do many people, that many people who are drug driving are not being apprehended. The public is aware of this. It is very important that gardaí are...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety: Discussion (25 Oct 2023)
Jack Chambers: Deputy Lowry is correct about the scale of the problem with drug driving. Tracking back on those who have died has shown that 13% of driver fatalities have positive toxicology for cocaine and 7% had a positive toxicology result for cannabis. Those figures, which are for the period 2015 to 2019, show the prevalence of drug driving. In addition, 37% of driver fatalities had a positive...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety: Discussion (25 Oct 2023)
Gerry Horkan: ...% in this year. The points about education, enforcement and so on are very valid. How many of the 186 actions have been implemented and how many are on the way? I very much welcome the mandatory drug testing. It is surprising it was not there before. Equally, it is very welcome. That people who committed multiple offences were not being penalised for them is almost like they were...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety: Discussion (25 Oct 2023)
Martin Kenny: ...test, are being addressed . There is no argument with regard to the intoxication test. The committee heard from An Garda on this. It showed us the tests and explained that the test for drugs is a more expensive and elaborate test and will be used less regularly than the alcohol test. We understand that. It is appropriate for that to be part of the legislation. As regards speed...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety: Discussion (25 Oct 2023)
Jack Chambers: ...the reforms on the speed limits review. We are trying to enact the legislation before Christmas. We want to have it ready for early 2024 in terms of having penalty points reforms, multiple offences and mandatory drug testing in one Act. I do not think these areas are contentious but they will make a significant difference. We see the trend in drug driving. I share the views expressed...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety: Discussion (25 Oct 2023)
Gerry Horkan: ..., the fine can be doubled but the penalty points cannot. It is giving the ability to change penalty points without primary legislation and secondary legislation. It is providing for mandatory drug testing, which I think we all welcome.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety: Discussion (25 Oct 2023)
Gerry Horkan: Correct, yes. I think we all approve of mandatory drug testing. Multiple offences will be caught which are not at the moment. It is not as big a piece of legislation as perhaps some think. The speed limit part is the bit about which I think we all have concerns. I think the Minister of State addressed a lot of them.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety: Discussion (25 Oct 2023)
Gerard Craughwell: ...male drivers are all wrong; there is certainly some evidence but I am not so sure they all are. If I am uninsured, chances are I will not obey any other rule of the road either. If I am taking drugs, chances are I could not give a continental damn about other rules of the road. If I am drinking and driving, I certainly am not going to be too pushed about speed limits. I suggest to...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety: Discussion (25 Oct 2023)
Cathal Crowe: ...against the traffic on one-way streets, driving across green areas and so on. More alarmingly, the drivers of these scramblers are not wearing helmets but are wearing balaclavas. They are doing drug runs. They are drug mules. The wearing of a balaclava is very intentional because the wearer cannot be identified but not wearing a helmet is even more intentional because An Garda...