James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)

I would like to support Deputy Hogan's stance on this Bill. In seeking to rush it through the Houses, the Government is once again shelving responsibility and enforcing the "Dublin knows best" mentality at the expense of the autonomy of local authorities. The main purpose of the Local Government (Roads Functions) Bill 2007 is to make legislative changes that are required to enable the transfer of responsibility for non-national roads and the national vehicle and driver file to the Department of Transport. One could of course point out that it is rare for this Government to take responsibility for anything. It is interesting though that the Minister is finally embracing transparency and admitting that his Department has made a total mess of roads infrastructure, especially on our rural roads.

I am all in favour of the recent spate of U-turns by this lame-duck Government and even sympathetic to the Minister's need for therapeutic confusion, but at the end of the day, local authorities are not pawns in a political game of expediency, with responsibility being shifted from one Department to another to the detriment of local autonomy. According to figures in the Government's pre-budget outlook, local authorities are facing a cut of more than 13% in funding for non-national roads, the routes which constitute 94% of the overall road network and carry 60% of all traffic. Pre-budget figures show that the budget for non-national roads will fall from €87.5 million this year to €53.8 million next year.

We are being told that the urgency of rushing through this legislation is to facilitate the Department of Finance in the necessary budgetary adjustments. Does this herald a divide and conquer approach, with cutbacks slipping in by default? Funding of €253,771 promised for Longford's rural roads was slashed in post-election cutbacks while €11,892 was taken from funding for Westmeath roads.

The Minister, hastening to appear accountable, will claim this is the responsibility of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs as the moneys are allocated under the local improvement scheme as part of the CLÁR programme. I do not care which way the Minister spins it or manipulates change to his advantage. The bottom line is that our roads, in particular non-national roads, are a disgrace. Rural communities are suffering economic deprivation due to the state of our roads. Communities are being isolated by a lack of necessary infrastructure and many roads are in a deplorable condition.

I have made numerous representations for the upgrading of non-national roads in the Longford-Westmeath area, many of which are in a prehistoric condition. Continual representations to the Department have still not brought the upgrading of the roads in the midlands, essential to the region's economic growth. Gateway and hub towns have been created in isolation with no real effort to develop links between them.

The Bill provides for the transfer of the national vehicle and driver file, NVDF, to the Department of Transport. This is to be welcomed as there has been a lack of engagement by NVDF staff under the watch of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. While any plan to deal with the inadequacies in the NVDF is a step in the right direction, the Road Safety Authority recommended a new agency be established to rectify the problems. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Enterprise and Small Business recommended the creation of a motor vehicle agency as a partial solution to the problem of uninsured drivers.

The European Commission's motor insurance directives require the State to develop an accurate central insurance database on every vehicle in the State. This project, known as the information centre, is deficient due to problems with the NVDF. The Irish Insurance Federation has brought difficulties with the database to the attention of the Department, recommending responsibility for it be given to the Road Safety Authority.

The Garda does not have access to an accurate central database of insurance information, essential to the maintenance of roadside checkpoints. Uninsured drivers kill up to 20 people each year and leave a further 2,000 seriously injured according to the Motor Insurers Bureau of Ireland. There is evidence that a large number of owners of foreign-registered vehicles retain their domestic registration, renewing insurance in their home country. Foreign insurers refuse to pay claims on the grounds that the driver is resident in Ireland and provided incorrect residency information.

I am tired of telling the House that rushed legislation is bad legislation. Once again we are at the mercy of the Government's inefficiency and pressurised to copperfasten its expedient legislation. Local authorities are the bedrock of local democracy. As a former general secretary of the Local Authority Members Association, I know well the issues of concern to all local authorities. The whims of central Government cannot be allowed to impact adversely on the autonomy of local authorities. I will not support this Bill and will vote against it.

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