Government must act to save lives

To its discredit, the coalition has twice voted down a Labour bill to combat and outlaw a form of car theft which so often ends in tragedy.

If the administration deems Labour’s reform bill as inadequate, then it should produce effective legislation of its own and put an end to such reckless and dangerous criminal activity.

In view of the Government’s failure to act, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern must shoulder a measure of blame for the failure to crack down on joyriding. The crisis has now reached his doorstep as the latest victim, taxi driver Robert McGowan, died following a crash at Summerhill, the heartland of Mr Ahern’s Dublin constituency.

It is time Justice Minister Michael McDowell examined the British system, where penalties for joyriding are weighted in proportion to the damage they cause to property and inflict on their victims.

Unless the Government is prepared to take a no-nonsense approach to joyriders, they will continue to flout the law and more people will die.