Danny Healy-Rae claims 'tough' speeding penalties are 'yet another' attack on rural Ireland

Shane Ross’s proposals for graduated speeding penalties is "yet another" attack on rural Ireland, Danny Healy-Rae has said.

The independent Kerry TD said when the new penalties come in, people in rural areas will suffer most.

This is because, he said, those in rural areas who lose their licence will not have access to the same public transport as those banned in urban areas.

“The penalties are tough enough as they are and with the new penalties, you wouldn’t be long notching up enough to take you off the road,” he said.

“If you lose your licence in an urban area, there is a pretty good chance that you’ll be in the middle of or very close to a pretty reliable public transport system.

“But if you lose it in a rural area, you will lose everything because you won’t have access to much or any public transport system.

You’ll end up losing your job, and you won’t be able to do simple things like your shopping.

He was speaking after it was announced the Cabinet has backed proposals by the Transport Minister to bring in a system of graduated speeding penalties.

At the moment, a driver caught speeding gets three penalty points and an €80 fine.

Under the new proposals, a driver caught speeding 30km/h over the speed limit will now face a €2,000 fine and seven penalty points.

Those travelling between 20km/h and 30km/h will get four points, those travelling between 10km/h and 20km/h will get three points and those speeding at under 10km/h over the limit will get two.

Earlier this month, Kerry Deputy Healy-Rae said permits for drink driving in rural areas should be agreed to ease rural isolation and keep pubs open.

He said special permits should be granted which would allow motorists to have two to three pints and then drive home legally on a designated stretch of road.

The deputy, who is also a publican, has frequently accused the government of attacking rural communities and way of life with its drink-drive laws.

“Whatever way you look at this, it is the people in rural areas who suffer the most from the government’s plans and proposals,” Deputy Healy-Rae said.

According to the Road Safety Authority, there were 142 fatalities on Irish roads in the period January - December 2018.