Fine Gael calls for speed limit to apply to State cars

A call was made for the Government to "lead by example" in preventing road deaths by amending legislation to prevent State cars breaking the speed limit.

Mayo Fine Gael TD Michael Ring called for the Roads (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, due this year, to remove existing provisions "that allows the Government to break the law".

State cars are driven by Garda drivers and as such are viewed as Garda cars.

Mr Ring also asked "that the Government stop the practice of Garda outriders escorting foreign dignitaries, whose names we do not know - we do not even know what they are doing in our country - and instead put those gardaí on the road to do the job for which we pay them and which we want them to do, namely to manage the traffic."

He said: "Would the Government consider leading by example and asking State cars to drive within the same laws as the people?"

When Leas-Ceann Chomhairle Séamus Pattison ruled his question out of order, Mr Ring said "the Government should lead by example".

"We should not have one law for the dictators in Government and another for the ordinary people."