Dáil Éireann

Vol. 963 Tuesday, No. 1 12 December 2017 DÍOSPÓIREACHTAÍ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES DÁIL ÉIREANN TUAIRISC OIFIGIÚIL—Neamhcheartaithe (OFFICIAL REPORT—Unrevised) 12/12/2017A00100 Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) 2 12/12/2017U00300Leaders’ Questions 22 12/12/2017X00600Order of Business 31 12/12/2017AA02750Comptroller and Auditor General (Amendment) Bill 2017: First Stage 40 12/12/2017BB00800Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2017 [Seanad]: Financial Resolution (Resumed) 41 12/12/2017CC00100Intoxicating Liquor (Breweries and Distilleries) Bill 2016: Financial Resolution 41 12/12/2017CC00400Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions: Motion 42 12/12/2017CC00700European Parliament and Council Directive: Referral to Joint Committee 42 12/12/2017CC01000Fifteenth Report of Committee of Selection: Motion ��43 12/12/2017CC01300Ceisteanna - Questions 43 12/12/2017CC01400Departmental Operations 43 12/12/2017DD02200Brexit Negotiations 47 12/12/2017HH01500Topical Issue Matters ��56 12/12/2017HH01700Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) ��56 12/12/2017HH01725Priority Questions 57 12/12/2017HH01750Defence Forces Retirement Scheme 57 12/12/2017JJ00200Defence Forces Remuneration ��59 12/12/2017JJ01000Defence Forces Strength 61 12/12/2017KK00650Defence Forces Remuneration ��63 12/12/2017LL00750Defence Forces Reserve 65 12/12/2017MM00700Other Questions 68 12/12/2017MM00800Defence Forces Pensions 68 12/12/2017NN00350Army Barracks 70 12/12/2017OO01400Defence Forces Strength 73 12/12/2017PP00800Defence Forces Expenditure 76 12/12/2017QQ01200Defence Forces Remuneration ��78 12/12/2017RR00850Defence Forces Strength 82 12/12/2017SS00475Topical Issue Debate 83 12/12/2017SS00500Traveller Community ��83 12/12/2017TT00350Respite Care Services 87 12/12/2017UU00500HSE Staff Recruitment 90 12/12/2017WW00250Hospital Services 93 12/12/2017XX00300Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2017: Second Stage 95 12/12/2017LLL00400Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2017: Committee and Remaining Stages 126 12/12/2017MMM00100Home Care Packages: Motion [Private Members] 127 DÁIL ÉIREANN Dé Máirt, 12 Nollaig 2017 Tuesday, 12 December 2017 Chuaigh an Leas-Cheann Comhairle i gceannas ar 12 p.m. Paidir. Prayer. 12/12/2017A00100Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) Question again proposed: “That the Bill be now read a Second Time.” 12/12/2017D00300Deputy Fergus O’Dowd: The objective of this legislation is to make our roads safer by en- couraging safer driving by motorists and ensuring, in so far as we can, that alcohol is no longer a factor in road deaths. It is not, as some speakers have claimed, an attack on rural or urban life or any group of persons. The purpose of the proposals is to make our roads safer for us all. Whether one is driving in west Kerry or north Louth, the same rules apply. As it stands, it is against the law to drive with a blood alcohol level above 50 mg per 100 ml. Where the level is between 50 mg and 80 mg per 100 ml, the motorist will, on conviction, have penalty points imposed on his or her licence. This Bill proposes not to change the amount of alcohol motorists may have in their system but to change the penalty for the offence in question such that there will, for a first offence, be an automatic disqualification from driving for three months. The question is whether this provision is reasonable and right and, if so, what argument can we make to sustain that position. Road death statistics last year show that, sadly, seven people were killed in County Kerry, which is the same number as died in County Louth. Those two counties are quite different. Louth is the smallest county in the State but has a large urban population and a huge volume of traffic and a motorway running through it. Kerry is a much larger county with an entirely different geography, road network and spread of population. Unfortu- nately, we saw the same number of deaths on the roads in the two counties in 2016. Studies carried out by the Road Safety Authority show that over a period of years, an aver- age of seven motorists driving with a blood alcohol level of between 50 mg and 80 mg per 100 ml die on our roads every year. Consider if the people who died in Kerry last year had not died and were saved, or if the seven people who died in Louth had been saved. That is what we must measure by, but we are measuring by the lives that are being saved against the disadvantage, or the perceived disadvantage, of the regulation. Is it better to save lives? The answer, clearly and absolutely, is “Yes”. 2 12 December 2017 I live in County Louth and the regulation affects the drivers in my county as much as it affects people anywhere else. Sadly, more than 12 people have lost their lives on the roads in County Louth to date this year. This is very sad and it is unacceptable. Anything we can do to save lives should be done, and we must do it. This is why I believe this legislation is important and that Deputies should support its passage. As I said in an earlier contribution, in County Louth in November during the world day of remembrance for road traffic victims, more than 600 people attended our local church. They lit candles for the family members they had lost through road traffic accidents in the previous year. Sadly, that list grows every year. I am happy that my vote will be used in the Dáil - whenever the vote is called - to do our very best to reduce that death and carnage on our roads. The question arises about travel. If a person lives in a rural area, he or she has further to travel for their recreation, be it a pub or whatever. What assistance is proposed for people who live in disparate, distant rural areas where population is of low density and in more remote areas where people are clearly isolated? I believe the proposal for the rural link transport network, which is activated currently during the day, to be made available at certain times at night and at weekends is a socially positive policy. It makes sense that we help people in rural areas to travel in the evening and at night. If it means that more people can go out using public transport in the evening or at night, I do not have a problem with that, especially in areas where people would not otherwise have an opportunity to travel because of the remoteness of where they live. This proposal is excellent and I fully support it. The issues that arise as a result of people going to court was widely broadcast last night on “RTÉ Investigates”. When people are brought to court, it is quite shocking that only 48% of those charged with exceeding the blood alcohol level actually get a conviction. I welcome the work done by the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Charles Flanagan, in meeting with the Attorney General to look at the way the courts deal with the huge volume of business they have to process. In the past year, for example, 382,000 criminal offences, 134,000 civil cases and 36,000 family law cases were brought before the courts. The courts also had to deal with some 60,000 fines and a total of 284 District Court orders were made. A huge volume of work is going through our Courts Service. I welcome the fact that funding for the Courts Service has increased by €20 million this year to bring it to a total of €132 million. Within that context,

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