Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister has responded to one of Senator Quinn's innovative proposals but I would like to support the Senator. This is not a new debate. I cannot understand why provision has not been made to allow motorists to turn left at a red light. The Minister put forward a particular point of view but this measure works effectively in the US. I do not understand why it is only an American provision and not a European provision. One of the frustrations motorists experience is when they have to sit at traffic lights at non-peak times and there is no traffic. Their frustration would be eliminated if they were allowed to take a left at a red light.

With regard to the generality of the penalty points system, two points is a severe imposition on a driver's licence. People refer to this as if it is of no great relevance but once a motorist receives points, he or she has them for three years, which is a long time. Gatso vans are used throughout the country and their locations can be found on the Internet. The Minister and the Garda have made it clear speed traps are not about revenue collection but anecdotal evidence suggests otherwise. Local superintendents send out gardaí in unmarked cars to patrol major roads on which there are few accidents. I use the N4 regularly and with the exception of the villages of Rathown and Ballinalack, one can drive at 100 km/h. At the top of Annaduff Hill near where the Masonite factory is located, there is a one pub and a church. As one reaches the top of the hill, one leaves a dual carriageway and joins a wide road where one is permitted to travel at 100 km/h. The speed limit then reduces to 60 km/h and almost immediately to 50 km/h before resuming at 100 km/h. I have had the experience of travelling through that area late at night and having penalty points imposed on my licence because an unmarked Garda car was sent out there from Carrick-on-Shannon. I am not the only person to whom this has happened. I do not know whether there is any sympathy for this scenario but two penalty points are imposed on a licence for three years if an offence is committed here.

Road safety legislation is ever changing and the penalty points system is under continual review. Somebody in the Department seems to be always talking about where else we can find another excuse to apply penalty points.

I accept unequivocally and unambiguously that it is in the interests of road safety and saving lives and I know the reasons for it but I sometimes wonder whether the three-year imposition in respect of some of the penalty points should be universal or whether some might be reduced, in the review of the system. It is a source of great annoyance to people. I class myself as a driver who uses cruise control when I am on a high speed road that allows me to do 100 km/h or even 120 km/h for safety and for fuel efficiency. I tend to drive between 80 and 90 km/h. It is mean when one is a relatively safe driver, who observes the rules of the road and is aware of road deaths and safety and does everything possible, gets caught by a garda in an unmarked car. It is all to do with revenue collection and very little to do with road safety.