Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

That goes across all politics. The Chairman has a track record, to be fair to him. My second issue relates to something that all Deputies should be very sensitive towards, which is the very good, honest and direct evidence that Mr. Nolan gave in the other committee. I want to get an update on it because it is genuinely concerning. Everybody will be concerned about it. In the TII seven-year plan, there are 150 minor road safety schemes projected. As of a few months ago, between seven and 11 were being implemented. It was expected over the duration of the plan - I reread the transcript - that 50 to 60 will be done. That means there is no funding for 90 or 100 projects. I asked Mr. Nolan about this directly and I compliment him because he was very honest. I asked him whether as a result of this people will die on the roads and he said, unequivocally, that they would. As a result of the lack of funding over the seven-year plan to implement these 150 minor safety schemes, which are effectively blackspots and which are in every one of our counties, people will die. That is a priority for us as legislators and Oireachtas Members. It is also a priority for the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the TII. We should support the TII in getting the funding to do this because timing and safety are the two biggest issues in decision-making. I ask that question because it ties into the first question about how we allocate funding. I would like an update on it. It is certainly something I will raise with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. For the committee's information, I will raise a Topical Issue matter with the Minister on this very same topic in a couple of hours.

My last two issues are quite topical.

I have a serious concern with the layout of the M7 from Roscrea to Birdhill at the intersection of Laois, Offaly and Tipperary, on which I drive eight to ten times a day along with hundreds of thousands of people. It does not just affect my constituency because thousands of people go to Limerick, Cork, Dublin and in every other direction. A number of people have been killed on this road in the past year and I knew some of them. May they rest in peace. The section between Roscrea and Moneygall is particularly concerning because of crosswinds. Obviously, bad weather and foolish driving contribute but it is hard to maintain the car at times, even when the winds are not high. The on-off ramps at Roscrea and Moneygall are not the same as any other on the motorway but are shorter and sharper. I do not know if the former NRA ran out of money but there is no long run-up to them. I have seen many people, especially in heavy goods vehicles, not realising this and they nearly go out into the main traffic as they approach the road.