Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome both Liz O'Donnell and Jerry Grant to our committee. I speak for myself but I am sure they will get unanimous ratification. We would be delighted to see them take on these new roles.

I will home in on one or two small issues. I am delighted to hear that Ms O'Donnell is pushing for the appointment of 80 new driving testers because there is a very significant backlog. Families are taking risks getting to and from work when their 20-something-year-old children are driving without a licence. It is a fact. It is what is happening in rural Ireland because of a lack of connectivity. It is certainly a positive thing to hear that tests will be advanced.

The only other brief point I would like to make is that I would love it if, during her tenure, Ms O'Donnell would champion schools. Throughout my primary school years, with the exception of those mornings when it was horrible and raining, I always walked or cycled to school and back. It was fresh and healthy and one would arrive at school in better form. Most of our schools are now not safe to walk or cycle to. There is no place for children to leave their bikes when they get there. I would love to see the Road Safety Authority, RSA, engage proactively with this committee, with the Department of Transport and with the Department of Education to ensure that a day will come when children can get to school in a healthy and safe way. Will Ms O'Donnell share any thoughts she has in that regard?