Ms Verona Murphy:

No, we do not have data. The new cycling Bill that is proposed is quite ridiculous legislation, not to mind the fact that it should be an Act as opposed to an amendment. There is no comparison between cycling in rural Ireland and cycling in an urban area. That law is impossible to enforce in an urban area and we will look even sillier than we are as it stands. The provisions relating to cycling should remain around the safety of the cyclists from the perspective of protecting themselves with helmets, high-visibility jackets and so forth. We understand that environmentally there is a need for increased cycling as opposed to use of the MPV but equally cyclists will take risks that we do not encourage and about which we can do nothing. The visibility from a truck is restricted. As Mr. Michael Moroney suggested, perhaps cyclists should undergo a course, be obliged to pass that course and be equally susceptible to penalty points for bad practices.