Hit-and-run offence loophole to be closed

The Public Transport Bill 2015 will amend the Road Traffic Act 1961 to remove an “implicit contradiction”, Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe has said.

Section 106 of the 1961 Act was amended by the Road Traffic Act 2014 to introduce new offences relating to hit-and-run incidents that cause death or serious injury.

The technical amendment proposed in the 2015 bill will close a potential loophole in the provisions.

Mr Donohoe told the Seanad: “The Attorney General’s office has since advised the Department that the amended version of the section contains an implicit contradiction.

“The new hit-and-run provisions are indictable offences but they come under a section heading referring to summary offences.

“The Attorney General’s advice is that the intention of the law is clear in spite of the error and the Director of Public Prosecutions is continuing to take prosecutions under this legislation.

“However, it is also the Attorney General’s view that the error should be corrected at the earliest available opportunity.”