Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Senator Norris could not be rude. I will come back to him in relation to that point and I apologise for not referring to it directly. The reason disabled drivers are given specific recognition within the Bill is to ensure that the issue is treated consistently across the country and in relation to different pieces of land. I know from my own constituency work that when people cannot access a space that has been granted to them - we are all familiar with the yellow-demarcated land - it can cause great stress and inconvenience. The reason there is recognition of this issue in the Bill is to make sure treatment is fair and consistent across public and private land. It is a fair question, and as the Bill goes to Committee and Report Stages I will clarify the issue further, if it has not already been done within the Bill.

I thank all the Senators for their points. I think I have covered them all, but if I have not, there will be an opportunity for further discussion on Committee Stage. I would like to emphasise that it is not the objective of this Bill to guide parking policy, due to the point to which I referred earlier on. The Bill covers both public and private land, and the rights and responsibilities that the owners of public and private land would have. That is the balance it seeks to strike, and in so doing it looks to be proportionate and to address many issues that people have had regarding an appeals process, signage, and the inconsistency of fines. These are issues that have been raised by all Senators. I look forward to engaging further with the Senators as the Bill goes through the Seanad. I thank Members for taking the time to read the Bill and put forward informed contributions about how we can improve it.