Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)

I always find Wexford to be warmer than Roscommon.

I left Boyle, which is on the N4 and drove through Athlone, Tullamore, Portlaoise and on into Enniscorthy. On the way home I decided I would use the N11 and the M50. Despite the fact that the latter route is up to 50 miles longer, the return trip was 50 minutes shorter. A community without a motorway or a dual carriageway is being discriminated against. There are motorways from Dublin to Belfast and Dublin to Galway but a swathe of the north west still has single carriageway roads. The new Roosky by-pass is a single carriageway with two lanes each way which is effective. At least it is safe for overtaking and it is good value for money. I compliment Leitrim County Council and the NRA for constructing the road. In the same area there is a 12-mile single carriageway which was only constructed a year and a half ago. This is the N5 Charlestown by-pass but it is not possible to overtake on this road because it is not dual carriageway or a dual-lane road. We need a motorway to the north west but in the meantime dual carriageway roads are vital. The N5 to the west is the same as it was 30 years ago. The N4 is an improvement but a lot more needs to be done to give access to the regions of the west.

Deputy Browne highlighted the case of the holiday homes tax of €200 which is destined for a central fund. The services are provided by the local authorities and therefore the local authorities should have full access to that revenue. In my area of counties Roscommon, Leitrim and Longford, there are many holiday homes and also, unfortunately, many unsold houses. This tax would be vital for rural local authorities.

Today I attempted to raise on the Order of Business the question of flooding in my area, which occurred because there was no demarcation lines between the Office of Public Works and the local authorities. No maintenance was carried out on certain rivers and streams so that when the floods came the roads were blocked by fallen trees and were washed away. It costs up to €2 million to replace narrow rural roads. The effects of flooding could have been alleviated if some body was responsible. The county councils say it is not their responsibility but rather that of the OPW and the OPW say the opposite. The sooner legislation is in place to decide who is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of these tributaries and rivers, the better otherwise the same problem will arise again. I do not want to be going back to the farmers, the landowners, the householders who were terrified for their lives. Much damage was caused but thankfully, there were no fatalities although there were some near misses. This is an issue that needs to be addressed.

The M50 has improved over the years because we are paying a huge amount for it. It costs me a toll of €2.70 each way to Dublin and it is another €2 each way if I use the M50, making a total of €10. If we are paying money for the upkeep of the roads in Dublin, we should get fair play in the west.

We are not doing enough to promote the use of electric cars as they are a very innovative use of energy which can be generated cheaply. Their use would remove our dependence on fossil fuels. I do not have much time for SUVs and four by four vehicles. Only about 1% of the people who drive these vehicles need them for the work they do. The Government has done a reasonable job in getting people to move away from the SUVs. They are dangerous when in collision with other vehicles or pedestrians or a bicycle. The chances of coming off unscathed from such a collision are very slim. These vehicles were regarded as a fashion item or accessory but the less we see of them on the roads, the better. I agree they are useful vehicles for farmers and builders or for certain lines of work but one does not need an SUV to bring children to school. We went over the top and the sooner we roll back from these outdated modes of transport, the better.

I would encourage schools to have a traffic management plan to allow young children to cycle or walk to school with their friends because there is nothing better and it is environmentally friendly.

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