Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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234. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding the consolidation of road traffic legislation. [49499/19]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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My priorities in respect of road traffic legislation have been focused on legislation which is required to tackle specific issues which need to be addressed in terms of road safety and traffic.  For example, I intend to shortly bring forward on a Road Traffic Bill to provide, in the main, for graduated penalties for speeding offences, as well as provisions to facilitate better traffic management on congested routes such as the M50.

The consolidation of the Road Traffic Acts has not therefore been a priority to date.  Unfortunately, in discussion of this issue, the benefits of consolidation are too often misunderstood and overstated and the nature of the task itself mischaracterised.  It is also worth noting that the absence of consolidation has not, in itself, been identified as an issue impacting on enforcement of any particular provision.

If the project is to be of value, it would be necessary to examine each aspect of the legislation and see where it might be require drafting improvement.  It is not simply be a matter of re-enacting all current road traffic legislation into one instrument.  Looking at previous projects of a similar nature, it is likely that such a project would take at least three years for a dedicated team of expert staff to complete.