Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I have been a member of a local authority for 25 years. While I will not discuss this tonight, with luck I will be a member of the authority for a bit longer. I was elected to this House in 1994 and the biggest issue facing us when we came into Government was roads. The Fine Gael and the Labour parliamentary parties discussed the issue and decided that we could not put up with the condition of roads in this country. This was the first time there was discussion on setting up a fund specifically for roads. Deputy Howlin was the then Minister for the Environment and the Minister of State was my colleague, Deputy Allen. We tackled this issue and did a good job on it. I am glad to say that things have continued from there.

Drivers in this country must be the softest people in the world to put up with the taxation and abuse we get from the Government. When one purchases a car one must pay VRT. We were told that on joining the European Union we would be able to import cars from elsewhere in Europe without paying VRT. The Government quickly got a derogation from this when it found it was losing tax revenue. This was wrong. This is a hobby horse of mine and I have always reminded people of this when canvassing in referendum campaigns.

In addition to VRT, car owners are taxed by having to pay motor taxation and further taxes on diesel and petrol. There are three or four new taxes for car owners. There are gardaí behind hedges in every corner of the country with cameras. They are trying to catch people speeding in 30 miles per hour zones. I do not have a problem with the gardaí catching people breaking the speed limit in a 60 miles per hour zone but I am concerned at how this is used to collect revenue for the State. Last year I tabled a question that sought to ascertain information on this. When I discovered how much revenue the Garda Síochána collected for the State, I wondered whether its purpose was to collect revenue for the Government or to do a job. People have told me that they have been caught driving at 35 or 36 miles per hour in 30 miles per hour zones. That is not fair.

Last week I saw a car clamped on Merrion Street that had its side window broken. The clampers have cameras all over this city to note the length of time cars are parked in certain places. Clampers are now more available than taxis — they can be found at any minute of any hour. However, their cameras are not used to identify persons who break into cars.

It is wrong that we are always attacking the motorist. Motorists are going to have to stand up for themselves. As there is no public transport, people living in rural areas need a car to get to work and travel around. Rural Ireland is not like Dublin; it does not have the Luas light rail system or a metro. The people of Dublin are soft. They should have taken to the streets in their thousands over the way in which they were abused by the State when the Luas works were happening in the city. It is outrageous that the public had to put up with such inconvenience. Nobody minds putting up with inconvenience for the sake of progress. However, this beautiful city has been destroyed. As I said in the House five years ago, the Luas light rail system should have been built underground. Those involved have made a mess of it. They have lost control and do not know what is happening. I will be surprised if we ever see Luas travelling around St. Stephen's Green.

Drivers now have to have their cars tested under the NCT when they are four years old. It is another money racket for the Government and the greatest one that was ever introduced. A person involved with the NCT was interviewed on "Five-seven live" and I was sorry that I did not have my mobile telephone with me so that I could call the radio station. A man from my constituency had his car fail the emissions element of the NCT. He took the car back within the specified period and, without having had any repairs or otherwise carried out, his car passed the same test. This proved to me that the NCT is a money racket and a con job to fleece taxpayers.

I would not mind if we had good roads. Ministers visited my constituency last weekend and the Taoiseach has also visited it in the past. How do Ministers travel to my constituency? They fly to Knock Airport where they are met by the State driver that was sent ahead of them. Is this not an admission in itself?

The people of Dublin are soft and I do not know how they put up with motorcades. I was travelling on the M50 and heard the screeching of five or six motorcycles escorting a Mercedes. I am sorry I did not see what Minister was in the Mercedes because I would have jumped out of my car and pulled him out of his. They wanted me to pull out of my lane. I was coming towards the edge of the M50 and there was no place I could go. The motorbikes screeching up and down frightened the life out of me and I was worried that I had done something wrong. There was probably no one in the Mercedes and they were only on a practice run. While I am proud that we hold the Presidency of the EU, those in State cars should not put people off the road and hold up traffic when there is no need for it. The Taoiseach should lead by example. However, I had the same problem with him a few months ago when I was on my way to the west. The motorcade swooped past me and while I tried to tail them, I could not keep up with them.

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