Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

What are the Taoiseach's plans for taking the referendum Bill on the Lisbon reform treaty in the House? When will it be before us on Second Stage and how long does he feel it will run?

A report in the motoring supplement of The Irish Times today tells us that 14 inspectors are employed by the Road Safety Authority to inspect tachographs and road safety measures for lorries, buses, school buses and so on. We are informed that these inspectors cannot do their work because the legislation giving them authority to act has not been introduced. They are trained and available but are hanging around and cannot inspect lorries, buses and the like because the legislation has not been introduced. When will the legislation to allow the 14 road safety inspectors to do their work be introduced to the House? I understand the chairman of the Road Safety Authority, Mr. Gay Byrne, has written to the Minister for Transport, Deputy Dempsey, about this matter.

See this speech in context