Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. As the Minister stated in his speech, it is the sixth Bill to deal with road traffic and infrastructure generally. I wish to pick up on a couple of issues at the outset.

The previous speaker discussed the amount of money to be spent on the roads over the coming years and that it is not the issue. As one who lived a mile and a half from Swann's Cross, where five young people died as a result of a road accident, I highlighted that junction 16 times in writing to the local authority and begged them to take action on it. I thanked the Minister at the time because after the five people were killed we got a roundabout on the junction and, thank God, it is safe now. Think of what could have been done if the money had been provided in time. The designs used by some engineers and the amount of money spent on consultants is unbelievable when one considers the results in places, such as junctions around Carrickmacross and other areas. A major question mark hangs over them.

The previous speaker also discussed speed limits. We spent a number of days in this House discussing the change of speed limits from the imperial to the metric system. However, nothing was done in terms of changing the speed limits on roads. If one drives from Slane to Drogheda, every few miles one sees a sign denoting a speed limit of 100 km/h but one cannot even get around the bends. However, on good stretches of road, one is only allowed drive at 80 km/h. One must ask major questions about the common sense used and how it was done.

I draw further attention to section 19 where the Minister states he has provided for the extension of powers available to the Garda Síochána to detain uninsured vehicles to vehicles registered in states other than Ireland. This is a major and important issue. Many cars with foreign registrations drive about with blacked-out windows. We do not know who is in them, or whether the driver has a licence or insurance. If we are to take control, the Garda must be given the wherewithal to deal with it properly.

This legislation is important. However, while this Government never has a problem introducing legislation, unfortunately its record in providing manpower to deliver its meaning in action is a failure. Many Bills come to mind in that context. One involved a Bill on meat in bonemeal introduced in 1989 but personnel were not put in place to implement it until 1996.

I welcome aspects of the Bill regarding mandatory alcohol testing, review of fines, disqualifications regarding drink driving offences and regulations on the use of mobile phones. However, I am concerned about the new framework for the engagement of private sector interests in the provision and operation of cameras and other technology for the detection of speeding offences. I want to see speeding controlled. However, I am concerned it will be done purely to obtain extra funds for private enterprise.

I accept that as a result of the Government's failure to provide Garda manpower and its failure to release up to 500 gardaí on desk duty, which could be done by civilians, it is possible the simplest solution is to hire the private sector to manage the cameras. I have no doubt that many like me will be concerned about how the private sector scheme will work. It will obviously be profit driven. It may even pick out the easy and most vulnerable places to establish the cameras, and not necessarily places which would lead to the prevention of accidents and saving lives.

The Minister must clarify who will be in charge of these private operators, to what standards and controls they will operate and who will monitor the system to ensure power is not abused. Speeding and drink driving are the main causes of loss of life and accidents on the roads. The best possible deterrent to both of these is the active involvement of the Garda Síochána and the visibility of gardaí at all hours of the night and day in relevant places. It is more important to stop drink driving and fast driven cars than to collect money.

I welcome the fact this Bill also deals with the use of mobile phones. All of us who are constantly on the roadways have been guilty in the past of using these communication items. Nothing is as dangerous as the use of such instruments, particularly through busy traffic and nothing annoys me more than to see drivers of extremely big lorries and buses turning corners or going through traffic lights with mobile phones to their ears. Surely, all individuals in cars, lorries or buses should by now have an overhead system to ensure their hands are free to control such lethal weapons.

This Government has completely failed to deal with unlicensed drivers. The current Minister, like his predecessor, failed to bring in additional driving testers to minimise delay and give young drivers the opportunity to get their full licences and, consequently, cheaper insurance. This failure has cost the youth of our country millions. Years ago, Deputies Naughten and Coveney prepared regulations which would have helped to solve this issue and provide better educated young drivers. The Government smirked at it. However, a small category also exists of older people who, for whatever reason, still do not have a full licence. They must be dealt with in a common sense way and given a degree of leeway to allow them go to the village shop or place of worship.

Initially, the introduction of penalty points reduced the numbers of deaths on our roads for a few months, clearly because of media coverage and Garda visibility. However, without the presence of gardaí neither this nor any other Bill will deliver the goods. It is up to the Government to provide the manpower and resources for the Garda Síochána if this is to be meaningful.

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