Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

This Bill will attempt to deal with some of the gaps left in recent road safety legislation. During the course of other legislation going through the House, we have tried to include some of the measures contained in this Bill by way of amendment but have failed. I hope will the Minister for Transport, Deputy Cullen, will see the Bill in the same light and allow it to pass.

The recent legislative changes, such as the setting up of the Road Safety Authority and the introduction of mandatory alcohol testing, will bring real benefits in accident reduction. They will save lives and reduce the numbers of individuals and their families whose lives are destroyed by catastrophic, irreversible injury.

Legislation alone will not save lives. The major failure has been in the implementation, administration and delivery of the road safety measures for which we have legislated. There has been a failure to follow through on good intentions. Good intentions without good work do not bring results.

Pre-planning and attention to detail have been missing in the implementation of legislation. When a system as basic as a driver testing system cannot be organised, the message goes out, particularly to young people, that the whole process of learning to drive, sharing the road system with others, the need for mutual respect and preparing for, and taking seriously, the national driving test, is simply not worth their while. They see that official Ireland does not think it is worthwhile. If the State regarded it as important, 400,000 people would not be on provisional licences. Up to 130,000 people would not be waiting for a test, and significantly, we would not have a test that people are not expected to pass. That is a bizarre and irrational process that cannot be allowed to persist.

The penalty points system is the classic example of how legislation is emasculated by the failure to invest in the necessary administrative systems. Although it was announced with large PR and photo opportunity moments, little preparation went into its implementation. Despite what the Minister is told, there are still problems with the system with people slipping through loopholes.

The legislative framework for speed cameras was announced but, again, it was just hot air when it came to actual delivery. It was discovered there were just three fixed speed cameras, for the most part not working. The whole scheme became a national laughing stock. Again, the message to drivers was the State was not serious about safety on the roads and eliminating speeding.

Legislation to facilitate metrication of road signs was introduced. There was the extraordinary spectacle of the Government paying local authorities to install 100 km/h signs on every lane and byroad. It would be laughable if it were not so serious to see a situation where a driver comes off a main road, where the speed limit might be 50 km/h, on to a country lane where the speed might be 100 km/h. It is up to the Minister to ensure legislative intent is delivered on the ground.

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