Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)

I wish to ask about two transport Bills. The Railway Safety Bill stalled on Committee Stage in July 2003 and has been held up for the past 15 months. What is the problem with that Bill? Has the Department of Transport finalised its thinking on the Bill? When will the Bill come before us again? It provides a legal framework to address rail accidents, including those involving the Luas, so it is very much needed and overdue.

The Road Traffic Bill is intended to sort out the mess that the penalty points system has become. That Bill was stalled before the summer. It was postponed when priority was given instead to the State Airports Bill. As the number of road fatalities has soared during the summer months, it is urgently needed to sort out the penalty points system. When will it be taken?

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