Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

One would not think from listening to the debate that this Bill is to give permanent legal standing to the increases in motor tax which were introduced by financial resolution in the Dáil last November. These increases were introduced with the sole purpose of funding the national roads programme to ensure that local authorities can continue the great progress made in rehabilitating the national roads network.

Deputy Durkan referred to the safety of motorists. The motorist certainly has been given safe roads. The statistics are very impressive. I was amazed at the figures which showed that the number of deaths on Irish roads last year and the year before are half the number killed on the roads in the early 1970s——

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