Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I hear what the Minister is saying. I have consistently raised this issue. This is a request from disability sector advocates. We speak about being holistic. The Minister is very able and capable of making holistic arguments on a range of transport issues. I believe this is important. The alternative is fines or putting people off the road. Let us keep it all very simple. If accepted, this proposal would put people off the road for a considerable period of time rather than allowing them to buy their way out after deliberately abusing a system that was not put in place for them in the first place.

Before we go to a vote I want to look at the other options. The Minister has responsibility for transport and he engages with the traffic unit and the Garda Commissioner through his staff and Department. I do not like using the words "instruct" or "demand" so instead I will use "ask". Would the Minister be in a position to commit today, using his high-level contacts, to ask the Garda Commissioner and the transport unit to carry out a blitz on this in the next three months?It would be some comfort if the Minister gave a commitment that he will put out some sort of blitz, an ask or instruction or resource them. The Garda tells me it does not have the necessary resources. There is a hell of a lot of demand on the excellent An Garda Síochána. Will the Minister give comfort to the people listening today that he is committed to using his powers, functions and contacts with An Garda Síochána and the enforcement agents to have a three-month absolute penetration and blitz to ensure that this is done, and run a public campaign about it? That would be helpful. I am a reasonable and pragmatic person. I know the arithmetic of this House. I could call a vote and so many people would bounce up here and we will not win it. One could trot out the auld press release and say the Minister did not stand in solidarity with people with disabilities and make a whole load of political mileage out of it, but that is not what I am about. I am about advocating to have action and I would be happy if the Minister could give a commitment that he will strongly use his influence to have a blitz for the next three months to tackle and address this serious issue.