Shane McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)

I wish to comment on the Minister's last point concerning our support and political opinion. When he was appointed, I suggested following our counterparts in Northern Ireland by putting political differences aside. If we had done so, we would have had a joint approach last weekend by forming a committee as they have done in the North after so many years of trouble. People from every party who are committed to road safety have joined forces there. We should have emerged last Friday with a plan in place. Fine Gael has some good ideas, which the Minister has had to introduce. We have others ideas also.

I ask the Minister to form such a committee by inviting not only the political parties, but also representatives of various organisations concerned with road safety to sit down together as a team. They forced the issue here two weeks ago. If that was done, we could have avoided what happened last week. I did not enjoy it but I anticipated on behalf of my party that we would be 100% behind what was going to happen last week. I got a bad omen in the morning, however, when I received a telephone call from a parent to say that twice a week, seven children were standing on a bus from Drogheda to Bellewstown. We were given a commitment that every school child in the country would have a seat belt, but that was not done. In order to avoid road deaths we must work together as they have done in Northern Ireland with Sinn Féin, the DUP and the SDLP. They did not make a political football of road safety, so we can learn from them in that respect.

The Road Safety Authority presented a draft plan on 17 May, which sought the introduction of legislation to reduce the blood alcohol limit for drivers from 80mg to 50mg per 100ml in conjunction with best European practice. That plan has been put back by two years, however, despite the fact that the introduction of such a measure has reduced road deaths elsewhere by 20%. Only three or four European countries have not yet reduced the blood alcohol limit for drivers. Twenty per cent of 300 is 60, but because we refused to implement best practice as proposed on 17 May, some 120 people have been sentenced to death over the next two years. Had we introduced that measure, 520 fewer people would die on our roads over the next two years, instead of Gay Byrne's figure of 400 lives saved.

While that measure could have been introduced, something that could not happen concerning provisional licence holders was to be done in four days. That is why our young people rebelled. We legislate for them, not for Members of this House. I have a son and daughters, and my friends have sons and daughters, who want best practice to be introduced. They are giving out to the older generation for drinking and driving. They are the ones who must get taxis at great expense. Over the next two years, 120 people will die because we played politics by not introducing a law reducing the blood alcohol limit until after the second quarter of 2009.

The draft plan of 17 May proposed that every school in Ireland — there are almost 4,000 of them — would provide a road safety plan to be drawn up by parents, children, the school boards of management, the Garda Síochána, county road safety officers and transport experts. That proposal has been watered down to a miserable wording "to include a road protocol". Why was that done? Tragedies have occurred involving school children, so every school needs a road safety plan. I cannot understand why this proposal was watered down instead of being implemented immediately. If it cost €10,000 per school, as we proposed, that would only amount to €40 million. We must educate our young people about road safety.

School transport is currently in a mess whether it concerns schools in Lismullen, Bellewstown, Bettystown, Trim or anywhere else. Everybody wants to avoid transport mayhem when their children travel to school, so why have such proposals been put on the long finger? It is unacceptable. We might not like changing our ways but it is wrong to play politics with people's lives. Some 120 people have been sentenced to death because we did not introduce best practice, as recommended to the Department of Transport by the Road Safety Authority on 17 May.

I ask the Minister to bring us all together to form a committee in this respect. Tracy Hogan was 100% right in commenting that this issue became a political football, which was wrong. If the Minister wants co-operation he should not treat us, or anyone involved in road safety, as if we are on the outside. In the end, the people in Donegal forced the issue concerning legislation last Wednesday week. Last week, the young people of Ireland forced the issue, not myself or any other Deputy. Backbenchers from all parties got it in the teeth. We legislate for them and they want best practice to be introduced. They do not want to be considered any differently from people in France, Germany, Italy or any other country. It was wrong for a recommendation made over five months ago to have been put on the back burner. We then tried to ram something down people's throats in four days that would have brought the country to a standstill.

We will work with the Minister in order to save time and save our children's and grandchildren's lives. He should not treat us as if we are on the outside, however. A committee should have been established the minute the Minister took office. I have made this point in this House and on the radio. If Sinn Féin, the DUP and the SDLP can do it after shooting each other for 30 years in the North, we can sit on a committee and follow their example. I am asking the Minister to introduce such a committee and we will work with him. If he gives commitments we will ensure the work is done. We will take the blame with him but we will lend a hand if we are asked to do so. He should not treat us or the public like he did with his announcement last Thursday.

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