Margaret Conlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

However, we are not achieving value for money. School buses might do two runs in the morning, perhaps to a secondary school and a primary school, and the same in the evening, but during the day they are not being used. Like my colleagues, I believe we could obtain greater efficiency by using these buses to better effect, particularly in rural Ireland.

All transport issues should come under the Department of Transport, including school transport and HSE transport. If one Department was responsible for everything, we would have a better service and achieve greater efficiency. At present the service is fragmented. We need a system that ensures those who are isolated are able to obtain transport.

In my constituency we are lucky to have the Balti bus service and the Cavan rural link service. These provide a valuable lifeline to rural communities. They provide an opportunity for people to go to town with their neighbours and friends, to carry out their business and to have social interaction, which is important. I am delighted, as I said, that the Minister has committed to continuing his support for these services, as they are the only transport services in many areas.

Public transport does not exist in rural Ireland. Now that Bus Éireann is seeking to reduce services, these transport services are even more important and deserve to be supported and enhanced. Rural isolation is a major issue and one about which I am concerned, as are many Members of the House. It is not, however, solely related to alcohol or to visiting the local pub.

Coming from a Border constituency, I am concerned about many aspects of road safety, particularly the practice of anti-social driving behaviour on the main Clones to Cavan road, the N54. I raised this issue with the Garda Commissioner, Fachtna Murphy, at the recent British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly in Cavan, and I have had ongoing discussions with his office in this regard. This stretch of road is being used irresponsibly by some drivers. The practice is highly dangerous and poses a considerable threat to other road users. There is a three-kilometre stretch of the road that crosses north of the Border on two occasions before coming back into the South, so there are issues regarding the jurisdiction under which the road falls. However, this fact is being blatantly abused by reckless drivers who are performing stunts for the amusement of others, thereby endangering themselves and oncoming traffic. It is particularly worrying given that this is the main road to Cavan, and to Cavan General Hospital, for many people in the area. An alarming development in recent times is that a text message goes out to young people to say this is going to happen at a particular time, and they all congregate there for amusement. It is a dangerous practice and it must be stopped before somebody is fatally injured.

I welcome the recent measures announced with the aim of tackling the evasion of tolls and parking tickets by cross-Border drivers. I commend the Minister on his ongoing work with his Northern colleagues on the establishment of a data exchange project that will allow authorities on both sides of the Border to pursue motorists who have not paid tolls or parking fines across the Border. Why should they get away with it? I am aware this is a pilot project but I look forward to its being operated on a permanent basis. It must be pointed out that offending motorists were always obliged to pay the fines, but the difference is that now they can be pursued. It is grossly unfair for those people who obey the law that others are evading payment.

There is a need to continue to educate our young people in road safety and driving practice. When a parent buys a bicycle for a small child, he or she makes sure the child has a helmet and keeps the stabilisers on until they are no longer needed. A parent would not let a child out on the road unless he or she was present and it was safe to do so. It is important that we ensure our young people are competent to go on the road before they are allowed to do so. A car is a powerful and dangerous weapon and people, particularly young people, must be well educated in the rules of the road and the use of a car before they take to the road.

I welcome the fact that many schools have introduced a road safety module as part of their transition year programmes. I commend the teachers involved in delivering the programme, and the management of the schools on their vision and foresight in including this module. Transition year should prepare young people for life outside school. Driving will be a fact of life for almost everybody once they leave school, and they need to be educated and prepared for it.

I welcome the Bill. We all have a duty as legislators and road users to do what we can to make our roads safer. Drinking and driving cannot be condoned. We must re-educate people, young and old. Surprisingly, when one meets young people out socially, one finds that many of them would never dream of drinking and driving. It is an alien concept to them. They organise themselves to go out in groups, and people take it in turns to be the designated driver. That is being responsible. We need to continue to educate people about driving habits and attitudes to drinking and driving. I am thankful that the concept of "one for the road" is not acceptable any more and that nobody would agree with it.

I welcome the continuous ad campaigns encouraging people to be designated drivers or to exercise care on the roads. Unfortunately, some of the advertisements are very distressing, particularly those showing the results of accidents. It gets a very powerful message across and we must continue the good work to ensure we reduce fatalities on our road and make those who drive engage in best practice and be sensible in their driving habits. I commend the Bill to the House.

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