DANGEROUS motorway driving must be dealt with severely and be treated like attempted murder, according to Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher.

The MEP told The Southern Star: 'It is clear that the existing legal framework for dealing with wilfully negligent driving such as driving down the wrong side of the motorway is not fit for purpose.'

He suggested: 'It must be amended to reflect the seriousness of such crimes.  Anyone driving deliberately down the wrong side of a motorway is putting other people’s lives at risk, and the punishment must reflect that. It’s akin to attempted murder in my opinion.

He suggested: 'The application of penalty points to licenses many of these criminals don’t have is futile. Crimes, and they are most clearly crimes, of this nature must result in a custodial sentence to reflect the severity of the crime.

'There are, in my opinion, zero plausible possibilities as to why a car would be driving at 120 or 130km/hour on the wrong side of a motorway.

'If a driver was confused about using the wrong slip road, any decent person would immediately stop, park on the hard shoulder, turn on their hazard lights, and seek assistance.

'Of course, the Gardaí need training to pursue criminals safely, but I caution anyone against believing that two cars driving down the wrong side of the motorway at high speeds is ever a safe option.'

The MEP said firmly believes that Minister O’Callaghan understands what needs to happen. 'I am flexible regarding how such a crime might be classified in future legislation, but I am very clear that it must carry the full weight of the law, including a custodial sentence to reflect its severity and risk to other citizens,' he concluded.