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Updated 1.48pm
GARDAÍ WILL BE given new powers to arrest anyone found to be driving while disqualified.
This is aimed at speeding up the time it takes for the case to reach the courts, a process that can take months according to the Department of Transport.
Detailing the measures to Newstalk Breakfast, Minister for Transport Paschal Donohoe said it will allow gardaí to bring an offender to court “at the next nearest opportunity”, instead of having to issue a summons.
He described the issue of people driving while disqualified as “a very big problem” on Irish roads.
The Minister noted that serious offences, such as dangerous or drink-driving, must be committed before a driver is disqualified.
To do all of that, and then drive around the very roads you shouldn’t be on, isn’t acceptable.
The new powers come into effect on Monday. In a statement issued this afternoon, Donohoe gave more details on how widespread the problem is:
While it is not possible to state precisely how many drivers may be driving while disqualified figures show that, in recent years, approximately 10% of drivers disqualified in any given year were later subject to prosecution for driving while disqualified. Almost 13,000 drivers were disqualified in each of 2013 and 2014, with nearly 6,000 disqualified to date in 2015. The number of prosecutions for driving while disqualified was 1,286 in 2013, 1,392 in 2014, and 592 to date in 2015.
When questioned on enforcement of the law, Donohoe said gardaí are “making better use of the powers available to them”, and has resulted in some improvement in road safety.
“We need to do things differently,” he told Newstalk.
We need to make smarter use of technology, such as new forms of cameras. We also need to have a look at our law to see how it can be changed.
It’s also a big morning for Aer Lingus. Minister Donohoe said IAG entered its formal offer for the airline at 7am. Shareholders will now decide on what course of action to take, with a final decision being made on 16 July.
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Why doesn’t the Journal have a “Spammer of the Week” seeing as the Journal seems to take no notice of it’s own Terms of Use? You could also have a “Troll of the Week” as well. There are at least one or 2 fake accounts on here that would win hands down each week without fail.
Tommy macdonagh would need another trophy cabinet
Should have put it in the survey lads
notice how of the top 5 commented on stories this week, the highest is 277 and the lowest is 201
2 years ago, those numbers would have been a minimum of double that, possibly even triple,
slowly but surely the journal is slipping into obscurity, and they only have themselves to blame,
with their bias in choosing what comments to delete and their complete apathy to the bigger trolls who flagrantly break the TOS.
Cop yourself on journal, make it an even playing field for everyone, do something about the massive trolling and the obvious incitement by certain accounts, and you might have a chance of reversing the trend
but somehow i doubt you will do anything until it is too late.
Here hear.
Nutjob of the week goes to… Nutella Boy ;)
Surely Blind Faith had the most popular comment in the Gardai assault article?
you should know by now Paddy “most popular comment” doesn`t count – it depends ENTIRELY on what the staff deem the most popular, anything that goes against their idea is consigned to the dustbin.
http://www.thejournal.ie/manor-street-gardai-assault-2910906-Aug2016/
Even the second comment got more than a thousand greens but thejournal.ie just ignores them.
It happens every week and makes this regular article a sham.
I know it’s incredibly frustrating when people that don’t agree with me insist on been heard…..
Great photo of Donald Trump sucking out a babie’s brain. He is truly evil.
nearly as good as O`Bamas imitation of a gun, he would want to watch himself too, considering he is black, that kind of pose is liable to get you shot over there at the moment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MDqfg3tYIQ
Better comment of the week here?
Better quality…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xham2-P5LQc
have your say