Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Driver Testing and Standards Authority Bill 2004. This is important legislation as there is a major public safety aspect to it and we have seen many deaths, injuries and horrific accidents on our roads recently. We all have to be vigilant and responsible when driving. Those in high office must obey the laws of the land on drinking and, particularly, driving when over the limit for alcohol. It is simply not acceptable for a former Minister to be involved in a drink-driving case, involving driving down the wrong side of a motorway. It is not acceptable nor is it understandable and the sympathy expressed in some quarters amazes me.

This is not a personal attack on anyone. It is about straight talking. If someone is out of order, involved in anti-social behaviour while drunk, he or she should be told straight out that such behaviour is wrong, whether that person is a former Minister, a family friend or a neighbour. Drink driving is anti-social behaviour and it is not acceptable. Gross irresponsibility should never be an option. People who have been involved in drink driving, who have caused major destruction on our roads, should be very careful.

This is also not a case of kicking someone when he or she is down. It is about telling a person straight out that he or she was wrong, out of order and should grow up and accept responsibility. We all have a duty, as legislators, to lead by example and sitting on the fence on such a major public safety issue is simply not an option. This is not a case of taking the high moral ground. It is about trying to do the right thing across all sectors of society. It is a challenge for us all. Our citizens are demanding leadership and a change of hearts and minds. This debate must be part of that process on the question of road safety.

With regard to the detail of the legislation, we see that the purpose of the Bill is to provide for the establishment of the Driver Testing and Standards Authority, whose primary responsibility will be the delivery of the driver testing service. Other functions relating to the testing and control of drivers, driving instructors and vehicles will be transferred to the authority.

Recently we saw an horrific crash in County Meath and I express my sympathy to all the families involved. We need to be very conscious of safety and, in particular, safety on buses. All school buses should be inspected in a professional and objective manner and should be driven by competent and professional drivers. Some school buses provide examples of good practice regarding seat belts and other issues. I would also encourage the Minister of State to look at the idea that when a school bus stops, all traffic around it also stops to allow children to alight in a safe manner. This practice is already in operation in the United States and would save lives here.

A number of Deputies have mentioned learner drivers. Learner drivers get a bad press. The vast majority that I know — and it has been my experience over the past 20 years — are very careful drivers. Because they are only starting to drive, they are very safety conscious. In fact, many learner drivers are more safety conscious than some of the so-called qualified drivers. It is unfair to give learner drivers a bad press because the vast majority of them — I would say more than 90% — never had any accidents.

On the matter of school buses, a constituent of mine advised me recently that school buses are dangerous and that not enough inspections are carried out on them. I ask the Minister of State if this is correct. Regarding Bus Éireann, is there a competent examination of all buses, including their tyres, engines, brakes and fire safety facilities? Is there a system in place that will allow us to have maximum confidence regarding road safety and road worthiness? Another constituent of mine has told me that mechanics are sometimes afraid to sign off on safety issues for buses and that senior managers often intervene to provide the sign-off. Is this correct? I do not know, but it is a serious issue that needs to be raised.

The role of education in road safety and driving is important. Education can assist everybody in pursuing road safety in a competent and professional way. Indeed, many of our primary schools do an excellent job in this regard. Road safety is already part of the school curriculum and many primary school children visit the traffic schools, do courses and watch videos on the subject. I commend the primary school teachers for their excellent work in this area.

Given that the Minister of State is in the House, I would also like to raise the issue of road safety as it relates to the Dublin Port Tunnel. There are issues in this regard about which we must be vigilant, particularly tunnels, fire safety and the collapse of roofs. We have seen damage done to over 205 homes recently. We have also heard complaints about the roofs and sections of the port tunnel. There are safety concerns regarding the tunnel. I raise these issues because they are relevant to the debate tonight.

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