Road Traffic Offences.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 23 February 2005

Wednesday, 23 February 2005

Questions (154)

Olivia Mitchell

Question:

201 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport his plans to introduce legislation to ban the use by drivers of hand held mobile telephones in cars. [6247/05]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Transport (Mr. Callely)

The Attorney General has advised that the Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2002, which prohibit the use of a hand-held mobile telephone while driving a vehicle, are open to challenge in the courts on the grounds that they may be ultra vires. In the light of this advice, a legislative framework to address the overall regulatory questions arising from the development of in-car technologies, which would include mobile telephones, is being developed by my Department.