Mildred Fox (Wicklow, Independent)

I thank Deputy Timmins for sharing time.

I am also surprised at the criticism being levelled at Wicklow County Council as a result of this decision. Wicklow Country Council was not a notice party in these proceedings. Had its representatives been present to clarify matters, it would have saved much time, money and confusion.

The speed limit in Kilmacanogue has not changed since March 2000 when it was set at 40 mph or 60 kph. The same speed limit is still legally in force today. Luckily, from a safety viewpoint, the area in question is a newly constructed dual carriageway and not a more dangerous secondary road. The number of cases which were thrown out is an indication of how well policed that particular stretch of road in Kilmacanogue is. It is one of the most heavily policed stretches of road in the country — and I am only sorry that I was so quick to pay my own fine in that area.

The biggest scandal this case highlights is the fact that gardaí spend so much time on safe stretches of road, on which we have spent millions to make safer. It is very easy to catch soft targets doing 70 kph on a 60 kph stretch of road. It is not so easy to pay attention to secondary roads at 3 a.m. on a Saturday morning, where our young people are dying. Penalty points are only effective when properly enforced, which is not the case. That is why the system has no impact. We are told that speed kills, which is true. Signs remind us how many people have been killed. We see the gruesome advertisements on television, and still young people die every weekend on our roads. The message is lost on us.

There has to be greater communication between local authorities and the Garda in cases such as this, where confusion arises. Local authority staff should be given the opportunity to give evidence and save time and embarrassment and to assist the Garda as much as possible.

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