Vol. 543 No. 2
508 Dr. O'Hanlon asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government his plans to introduce mandatory disqualification for driving on the wrong side of continuous double lines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26348/01]
Section 26 and the Second Schedule to the Road Traffic Act, 1961, as substituted by section 26 of the Road Traffic Act, 1994, specifies the offences where on conviction the court makes a consequential disqualification order declaring the person to be disqualified from holding a driving licence.
I have no current proposals to extend those provisions to the offence referred to in the question. However, section 27 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961 provides that a court may impose an ancillary disqualification upon conviction for any offence, other than the offences to which section 26 relates, under both the Road Traffic Acts or any other enactment where the offence involves the use of a mechanically propelled vehicle. This means that disqualification is a possible sanction in all such cases at the discretion of the court.
