Ring says plans for increased penalty points on public holidays is ‘anti-rural’
Fine Gael TD Michael Ring said he will fight the proposal 'tooth and nail'.
A Mayo TD is railing against plans for increased penalty points on public holidays.
Fine Gael Deputy Michael Ring said the proposal will be fought ‘tooth and nail’. The Westport TD was vocal in his opposition to the plans by Minister Jack Chambers at a recent Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting. He has branded the measures unconstitutional and “anti-rural”. The Road Traffic Measures Bill aims to provide for penalty point reform, mandatory drug testing at the scene of collisions, and safer speed limits.
Under the Bill, powers would be granted to vary the number of penalty points during specific times when road safety risks are higher.
"The law of the land is there. There's plenty of law there, plenty of vans and plenty of guards. We have enough law, let's have some enforcement.
"It's anti-rural and brought in by city slickers who don't understand rural life. We don't hear about road repairs, hedge cutting or doing those things. But fine the motorists is always the answer,” said Deputy Ring.
“What we need is more enforcement, not more legislation,” he added.
Deputy Ring called for a step up in drug driving enforcement. He expressed sympathy with people who have lost loved ones in accidents on the country’s roads but said "some of the legislation that we have would not have stopped those accidents at the hour of the night they happened".
"I think we need more enforcement, we need more gardaí, we need more drink and drug-driving testing. There is no doubt about it that people are driving around with drugs in their bodies.”
