Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome everyone to the meeting. I have looked into this matter a small bit. The first point I would make relates to the laws that are coming in. I have a major problem with some of the stuff that the RSA is trying to introduce and with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport due to a lack of clarity about certain matters. I agree with what has just been proposed.

What activity does the RSA define as being commercial in nature, as opposed to an activity carried out by a farmer? A silage contractor on hire can deliver silage to a farmer and does not need to have had a roadworthiness test carried out on his vehicle. If he hitches a trailer to his tractor and brings cattle to the mart for the same farmer, then he will need a roadworthiness certificate. This is despite the fact that he is using the same tractor. The law, as it stands, is an ass. The directive was transposed into law in 2011 and it must be enforced from next year.

If I rip the seat out of a tractor and ask my 16 year old young fella to drive it, then he can drive it on the road. If I have a seat in the tractor, I must pay another person to drive it if my young fella only holds a provisional licence. This shows the stupidity of what is being put in place. I would like to hear the views of the witnesses on these issues.

Hedges are a major problem. I wish to refer to another law that has been introduced. I live 31 miles from Tuam. If I want to bring cattle to the mart in Tuam, I am obliged to install a tachograph on my tractor when I am 30 miles from the town. This is just because I am 1 mile way from the 50 km limit. I have to do this just to bring my cattle to a mart. I spoke to the former Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Donohoe, about this matter and he said that it would be considered by his Department. I do not wish to criticise him but the Department has not considered the matter. If I want to haul a few bales and I travel 61 or 62 miles - and in the west one might need to travel that distance to collect a load of bales - one needs to install a tachograph after 100 km. There was scope to extend the distance to 250 km and to 150 km in respect of cattle. If that was done, we could have complied with EU law but, unfortunately, we did not listen to the proposal.

My next question is for the FCI and Ms Murphy. I have a major problem with the fact that money has been thrown at the RSA. Do the witnesses think that instruction on how to ride a motorbike or drive a car or tractor should be introduced for transition year students in second-level education? Some Oireachtas committee should make the proposal. I am not a member of this committee and I thank the Chairman for affording me an opportunity to speak. Should we have a scheme whereby a person could get 20 points or whatever if he or she does X amount driver training during transition year Such an initiative would ensure people learned what happens to a person cycling a bicycle on the inside lane when a lorry turns left. Lord God, it is terrible to think about what happens on the roads at times.

I worry about Ms Murphy's call for tractors to be banned. It is fine if people want to ban them but what should be done with 75 year old people who drive their cars at 30 mph and cause long tailbacks? This would drive a person mad at times but does Ms Murphy want to ban them from driving as well? Such people are allowed to drive their cars on motorways.