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The Road Safety Authority has contacted Gardaí over a recent programme involving Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae. The Irish Times reports the documentary showed Deputy Healy-Rae taking notes and talking on a hands-free while driving.
The TD is heard saying "Oh God, you're not supposed to write and drive, there's some law about that".
Healy-Rae is not the first TD to incite controversy over his driving habits. Earlier this year, Justice Minister Alan Shatter alleged on TV that the Wexford TD Mick Wallace had benefited from Garda discretion after he did not receive penalty points for being caught using his mobile while driving.
A recent survey by AA Roadwatch revealed that 80% of drivers see another driver using a mobile phone at least once a day - although only 17% of the same motorists admitted to calling or texting while behind the wheel.
Currently, under Irish law, if a driver is caught on their phone they can incur 2 penalty points and a fixed charge of €60. In the event of non payment of this fine, 4 penalty points and a possible €2,000 fine will be enforced if convicted in court.
The topic will be discussed on today's Pat Kenny Show, and we want to know your opinion the subject. Do you 'multi-task' while driving? What are your views on Healy-Rae's actions - are they unacceptable or is this incident being blown out of proportion? Do we need harsher laws to discourage people using phones or engaging in other activities while driving, or increased implementation of existing rules?
Vote in our poll and leave your comments below.
