asked the Minister for Justice if he will introduce legislation to give gardaí the authority to remove dealers from roadside camping sites or to prevent them from camping on a particular site.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Roadside Trading.
14.
The introduction of legislation for the control of roadside trading or camping would not be a matter for me. The appropriate Minister for the former would be the Minister for Industry and Commerce and, for the latter, the Minister for Local Government.
Why did the Minister not have the question transferred to the appropriate Minister?
The question asked me if I would introduce legislation and I am merely saying that the introduction of such legislation is not for me and I have indicated for whom it is.
Would the Minister not agree that, in order to facilitate the House if it is a matter for another Minister, he should follow the well-established practice and transfer it to the appropriate Minister?
There is a division of responsibility as between the two Ministries and I have indicated in my reply where responsibility in this matter lies.
This is not the first time this has happened in recent weeks. In view of the fact that it now takes several weeks between the time a Member puts down a question and the question is answered, apart altogether from the precedent established by the Government of which I was Taoiseach, as a matter of courtesy, if a Minister finds the question submitted, is not appropriate to him, would he not transfer it to the Minister competent in the particular area?
The Deputy put down a specific question asking me if would introduce legislation to give the Garda the authority. In my reply I said that the Garda do not have authority in this matter and the question of legislation to give them authority would not be a matter for me.
This question arises from a reply I got from the Minister on the 5th June in which he indicated that the Garda had not authority to remove itinerants from a camping site or to prevent their camping on any specific site. Could the Minister set people's minds at rest by indicating that the Minister responsible for this is pursuing legislation to deal with this matter? I hope the Minister will be interested enough in this subject to deal with this.
The Deputy can be assured that anything of serious public concern will be dealt with by the Government.
(Interruptions.)
Order.
Am I to take it from the Minister's reply that the Department of Justice have not the authority to remove itinerants if they are causing a traffic obstruction or a traffic hazard?
If any case of roadside camping should be an obstruction and a hazard to traffic, the Garda would have power under the Road Traffic Acts to intervene. Wherever they have power to intervene in such a case, I have no doubt that they will do so.
Would the Minister accept that this is a very serious problem all over the country and needs to be dealt with now?
I am aware that it has given rise to concern in many areas.