Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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123. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if she plans to include drugs found in the car of a driver as a reason to impose a driving ban on a driver. [27585/22]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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As a general rule, the Road Traffic Acts impose penalties for traffic offences rather than other offences, such as possession of illegal substances.  They do of course provide for driving disqualifications where a person is actually under the influence of an intoxicant.

However, I would draw the Deputy's attention to section 27 of the Road Traffic Act 1961.  Under this section, a person may receive a driving disqualification in the case of a 'crime or offence in the commission of which a mechanically propelled vehicle was used.'  If for example a person was dealing drugs and using a car as part of that crime, it would be open to the court to issue a driving disqualification.

I have no plans to amend this legislation.