Terry Brennan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Minister about the importance of energy security, energy efficiency, a fully integrated market and the benefits of this for this country. I have looked at something that could conserve significant energy in this country and reduce carbon emissions. It relates to the different motorways. Having entered and exited on a straight stretch of road, I saw 80 high-powered lighting columns on either side of the road that I would contend are not necessary in most instances. The most recent motorways built in the South, such as the M8 and M7, which have barriers in the middle with reflectors, do the job adequately. This should be looked at, and I have seen it in the US. One section of a motorway here, which I will not name, contains more lights than one would find if one crisscrossed the US. If one took the main highway across the US from New York to San Francisco, I honestly believe one would find fewer lights than on a motorway in this country. The use of high-powered lighting columns from dawn to dusk should be examined. Could we do without them or dim them from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m.? There would be significant energy and monetary savings and a reduction in carbon emissions if we looked into that.