Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)

First, I extend sympathies to the family of Garda Kevin Flatley, who was killed in the line of duty not so many months ago. I also extend sympathies to the people from PARC who have lost loved ones in terrible tragedies.

I am not going to go over some of the questions that have been asked already. We know that speeding is shocking and dangerous. Drugs and all that is a huge contributing factor to accidents and people being killed on the roadside. I raise the issue of the condition of roads. I am going to the RSA and the Department of Transport on this.

The condition of the roads is appalling. I drive approximately 110,000 km per year. I know every inch of the roads in west Cork. Mother of God, the witnesses would want to come with me to see the condition of the roads there. Senator Collins referred to the fact that the presence of verges at the roadside means that lorries have no choice but to cross the white line. It costs €1,000 if you lose a mirror. Cars can probably get away with it up to a point, but lorries and buses must cross the white line of the road because they have no choice. Good God almighty, the accidents are frightening. We see them. Have the witnesses any plans going forward? Last summer, I was in County Clare on a Sunday. I had plenty of time to drive around for a while. The verges were cut cleanly. Everybody was driving well and safely. Lord God, coming down to my constituency is frightening beyond belief. What is the matter? Is the funding not being provided? Is the local authority not doing its job? We cannot leave tree branches hanging across roads and expect people to drive. It is not safe.

There are no road markings on most roads. I have been looking for road markings for the past six months on the Skibbereen Road coming out to the Drimoleague main road. Cars have been driving straight out onto the main road because drivers do not realise they have to stop. There were road markings but they are gone. It is the same story all over. These are the very basic things that we must get right. We must at least have a proper road structure.

Roadside drains need to be cleared. Roads are being washed away. I accept that will always happen with floods. Long ago, the local authority worker was out there doing his or her work. It was mainly men. Those roads were always clear and there was no floodwater on them. People are pulling out the whole time and crossing the road because they cannot drive properly in those conditions.

The road markings, verge cutting and clearing are the three areas I raise. Perhaps the witnesses from the representatives of the RSA or someone else will give me a straight answer. Is something going to happen or are we going to leave it to chance and hope for the best? Is that where we are? That is where we are at this point and have been for the past ten or 15 years.

I would like to know that status of driving tests at the moment. How quickly are young people able to apply and get driving tests?

The representative from the RSA mentioned third level education. That is the tool that will work. However, we need to go back to second level education. In fairness, the RSA might be doing that. I do not mean to be disrespectful. Young people at the age of 15, 16 and 17 are mad to get into a car. Sometimes, a car is like a loaded gun. They are getting into their cars and they must be educated. We in Bantry are lucky because we have a school of motoring. Surely there should be schools of motoring throughout the country to which young people should be taken. Going forward, it should be a part of the curriculum when they are 15 or 16 to teach them how to drive safely.

I have only left two and a half minutes for the witnesses to reply. I will say one thing further in respect of An Garda Síochána. We are lucky to have what we have, but we in south-west Cork only got one extra garda in the most recent roll-out of officers. That is unfair. It is leaving towns without gardaí. That is happening. Rural policing is the best way forward. I do not want to mention gardaí by name but there are some great gardaí out there because they are local. They know what is going on. They know the young fellows who are acting the eejit with cars.