Deirdre Clune (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am glad that the Minister of State is here to respond to my question about regulating the clamping industry, particularly on private property. The Minister for Tourism, Transport and Sport, Deputy Varadkar, published heads of a Bill earlier this year and hoped to present the Bill now. Twice in the past week people have told me stories about the terrible way that clampers treat people, particularly on private property. We need to regulate the practice to give certainty to car owners and to the owners of private property. We do need a clamping process in private facilities but it needs to be regulated.

The statement the Minister made earlier in the year was very welcome. He said that the National Transport Authority would oversee the regulation and that clampers would be licensed. Other measures to be put in place include a complaints procedure. At the moment there is no such procedure and one must write to some PO Box somewhere. It is an important issue. It is a commitment in the programme for Government and needs to be addressed and moved forward and I will be grateful for the Minister of State's response on where this stands.