asked the Minister for Justice the number of prosecutions issued and the number of convictions in respect of the overloading of commercial vehicles during the most recent yearly period for which figures are available.
Ceisteanna—Questions . Oral Answers . - Commercial Vehicles Overloading .
33.
: In the year ended 31 March 1977, 249 prosecutions were taken for overloading of commercial vehicles and convictions were recorded in 201 of these cases.
I should explain that those statistics were specifically compiled some time ago for the Department of the Environment and comparative figures for earlier or later periods are not available.
: Would the Minister not agree that the figures in question underline the necessity of introducing greater surveillance, including the tachometer, in view of the quite horrific accidents which have occurred where commercial vehicles have been grossly overloaded?
: I should like to assure the Deputy and the House that I am very conscious of the difficulties with regard to seeing to it that the legislation about which we are talking is implemented. There are many difficulties in enforcing it.
: Would the Minister not agree that there is quite a serious situation arising where Irish commercial vehicles arriving at British and continental ports are promptly stopped for being 15 per cent or 20 per cent overloaded? They have to indulge in costly off-loading and reloading and it is an indictment of the irresponsibility of some operators in that field. People are being killed.