Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)

I also extend my sincere sympathy to the families bereaved by this terrible tragedy. As the father of young daughters, this accident affects me deeply. Some may argue that now is not the time to investigate the cause of this tragedy. However, we have to highlight these dangerous situations for other road users.

On 24 February, I spoke about the case of a young girl called Aisling Gallagher who was killed on 22 December 2004 in a traffic accident on a road which was covered in dense bitumen macadam, DBM, and to which no surface dressing was applied. The circumstances of the accident in County Meath are similar. Aisling Gallagher's father informed me earlier that he had visited the scene of yesterday's tragedy and found the setting to be a replica of that of his daughter's accident. The road had just been tarred. It is stated in one of this evening's newspapers that "In the hour before the crash, which happened near Kentstown at around 4.20 p.m. yesterday, there were serious rain showers and sources said the bad weather and fresh tarmacadam would have made the road surface very slippy." Roads covered in DBM should have a surface dressing. Otherwise, they are very slippy after wet weather. There should have been clearly visible signs on this road to notify motorists that they should not exceed 50 km/h. There were no such signs on that road.

How many more people must die before something is done about this? In reply to a question I put to him on this issue, the Minister of State, Deputy Callely, said that only 2.5% of accidents are due to road conditions. I contend that this is a significant underestimation. I was told that 377 people died on our roads in 2002. If 2.5% of this figure, nine people, died for any other reason we would need to know the cause. While I am not saying road conditions were the total cause of the accident, it may well have been so. It appears that the driver braked going around a bend as two cars were travelling along the other side of the road.

Will the Minister of State review this situation and examine road conditions throughout Ireland? How many more have died and will die before this situation is resolved? While this is a time for expressions of sensitivity to the families concerned, the issue remains extremely important. A lack of action after the last incident was highlighted on the Pat Kenny show. The Minister of State, Deputy Callely, asked for more information on the accident in Mulranny, County Mayo and I gave it to him. Five died in yesterday's accident. We do not want any further accidents, especially those which arise because somebody forgot to lay surface dressing where it was clearly required.

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