Seanad debates

Tuesday, 3 October 2006

Road Traffic and Transport Bill 2006: Second Stage

 

4:00 pm

Derek McDowell (Labour)

I am sure they are in many cases and more experienced than them. It is only right and sensible to extend the provision in this way. I am not sure how it will work but I assume stations will have a rota of nurses to perform this duty.

Nobody has mentioned the provisions for road haulage and the road passenger operators. Is there a lacuna? Have these drivers been operating illegally or improperly since October 2005 as a result of the Minister granting any licences ultra vires in that time? If so, has anybody been exposed to the possibility of prosecution or has anybody been prosecuted for operating without a licence during that time, when in fact he or she could not have properly held a licence, or held one that was improperly granted?

I understand from what the Minister said that he is satisfied the regulations implementing or transposing the European regulations about road passenger operators were effected ultra vires or were not properly brought into statute law. Will the Minister spell out the consequences of that? He is correcting it as of today, or whenever this legislation is passed, but are there any negative consequences in the fact that we have not properly transposed the regulations on road passenger operators over the past several years?

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