Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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690. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding tacograph legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2691/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Directive 2002/15/EC lays down minimum requirements with regard to the organisation of the working time for all persons performing mobile road transport activities, including self-employed drivers, in order to improve road safety, health and safety of drivers, and prevent distortion of competition. It also supplements the provisions of Regulation (EC) 561/2006 which lays down common rules on drivers' driving time and rest periods. This Regulation and section 5 of  S.I. 62/2008 European Communities (Road Transport) (Working Conditions and Road Safety) Regulations 2008 provide for tachograph exemptions for certain categories of vehicles involved in certain activities. I would not consider a blanket exemption for tipper and concrete trucks appropriate due to the impact on working conditions and road safety.

The issue of road hedges is covered in Section 70 of the Roads Acts 1993 which makes the owner or occupier of land responsible for ensuring hedges are not a hazard or potential hazard and that it does not obstruct or interfere with the safe use of a public road or the maintenance of a public road. The council of a county, the corporation of a city or other borough, or the council of an urban district are responsible for the enforcement of Section 70 of the Roads Act 1993.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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691. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will consider the introduction of mandatory dipped headlights for motorist during daylight to further improve safety on our roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2782/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Daytime Running Lights (DRL) involve motorists using either dedicated daytime running lights or dipped headlights during the hours of daylight in an effort to make vehicles more conspicuous and hence increase road safety by reducing the number and severity of road traffic collisions. An increasing number of vehicles have DRL fitted as standard, and it became mandatory on all new cars entering the national fleet from 2011 onwards in accordance with EC Directive 2008/89/EC. New trucks and buses are required to have DRL since August 2012. It is estimated that through the gradual renewal of the national fleet almost all vehicles will be equipped with DRL by 2024, with significant numbers being compliant in advance of that date.

DRL is not mandatory in Ireland. In recent years the RSA undertook a review of the policy options available for the mandatory introduction of DRL and concluded that DRL should not be made obligatory at present. Experience in other countries especially Sweden where DRL has been mandatory since 1977, shows that mandatory DRL works best where all vehicles are fitted with dedicated DRL and where there has been intensive promotion and awareness campaigns prior to DRL being made mandatory. In Ireland most vehicles do not yet have dedicated DRL and the RSA analysis has shown that the costs of retrofitting DRL at the current time outweighs the benefits. The RSA has recommended that the position be reviewed again in about 4 years. In the meantime, the RSA will intensify the promotion of DRL with a view to significantly increasing the use of DRL on a voluntary basis, in particular during the period September to March and in wet or poor conditions.