Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)

What does "this will be the benchmark going forward" mean? Does it mean there will be €87.5 million in the budget this year in addition to whatever would take into account the adjustment for the new economic situation? Will that €87.5 million from the Exchequer plus the local government funding be in the budget this year? I would like the Minister to clarify that.

A few weeks ago there was a lengthy debate on road safety where a number of Deputies from throughout the country described in detail the dangerous nature of many of our non-national roads, especially in the west and north-west. When the issue was raised the Minister, Deputy Noel Dempsey, gave a commitment during that debate to drastically increase road safety measures but if there is not, at the very least, matched funding in this year's budget for building of non-national roads, that would go against the Minister's commitment, which would be unacceptable. I would like the Minister to clarify the position.

It should be pointed out that there are no provisions under Transport 21 for the maintenance and upgrading of non-national primary roads. With the transfer of functions will that be given priority in terms of our traffic and transport commitments?

Throughout the country motorists can drive along a major inter-urban route which has been upgraded to a very high standard but when they come on to a non-national road they are often faced with poorly maintained and dangerous stretches of road on which they must complete their journey. Will the Minster give that issue priority with the transfer of the functions to the Department of Transport?

On the national vehicle and driver file, there were disturbing reports in the media recently about the impact of uninsured drivers on road deaths and road safety. Recently, The Irish Times reported that 1,351 vehicles recorded as written off on the national vehicle and driver file were back on Irish roads. Has the Department of Transport-led investigation into this matter been concluded and what recommendations were made?

What plans are there to reform the NVDF to take recent events into account? Is the Minister considering the Motor Insurance Bureau's recommendation that the Road Safety Authority take charge of the file? The automobile authority has called on the Government to introduce a new non-national driver file to maintain a record of penalty points for those producing foreign licences following motoring offences in Ireland. Is the Government considering this type of reform?

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