Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

My questions will be very brief because Mr. Herz, in his final summation, has answered them. I will go through them nevertheless to obtain further clarification. Is there certification? Can any unregistered back-street crash repair operator fit a windscreen? If I set up in the morning, would I have to meet any standard and would my staff have to be trained in a particular way, do certain courses or be certified as a mechanic?

I thank Mr. Herz for producing the independent report which is very helpful. He mentioned the NCT. Is the windscreen tested in the current NCT process? While a visual check is made to determine whether the windscreen is cracked, is there a more detailed visual inspection to determine whether the bonding is appropriate? Is there a pressure test to demonstrate the conditions indicated by Mr. Herz?

I suggest the committee take the technical report provided by the Transport Research Laboratory and discuss it with the Road Safety Authority. Following on from this, the committee should prepare a short report with some recommendations which it could provide for the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the UK ministry of transport. Mr. Herz highlighted a serious road safety issue and identified the changes in the structural integrity of vehicles. Older cars had much greater levels of steel and support structures, but this is no longer the case. It is a matter the committee must take seriously as it is a driver and passenger safety issue.