Ms Sarah O'Connor:

I thank the Deputy for his interventions. They are a very useful reminder to us. Two of them have prompted a thought in my head. He mentioned that he heard the weather warnings over the past 48 hours. Our team worked very hard to be very responsive and timely. They work with departmental colleagues throughout government on this.

As well as fixing the roads, giving warnings is very helpful, bearing in mind Professor Cusack's point that we are bringing on new cohorts of drivers all the time. Education on aquaplaning and how to drive in the rain, for example, is really important, not only for those of us who wish to refresh our knowledge heading into the winter but also for new drivers so they will know and understand what is involved as they go onwards. We have a series of videos, supported by Teresa Mannion of RTÉ fame, that help people to understand what is involved. Members should feel free to share them. They are really timely at this point of the year and can be very helpful.

The point on deer was actually raised with us by one of the Deputy's colleagues, Deputy Moynihan, in the past few weeks. We will be pushing out a series of social media posts to make people aware of the risk, which is obviously very localised but important to be aware of.

With regard to points of concern members may have, they should please feel free to contact us. We really do listen and take them on board. We try to design interventions with the insights in mind, whether through a big budget or small one. We are aware that Members are out on the roads day and night and see a lot, and also that their constituents let them know about a lot. Therefore, we are only too happy to act on their concerns, where possible, within an evidence-led and prioritisation-based approach.