Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)

I acknowledge the presence in the House of my county colleagues, Deputy Charlie McConalogue and Deputy Thomas Pringle, and welcome them to the 31st Dáil. In the absence of Deputy Pádraig MacLochlainn and some of his Sinn Féin colleagues, I acknowledge the new addition to the political representation in County Donegal and I look forward to working with my new colleagues in this Dáil.

I acknowledge the prompt activity of the new Government on this Bill and commend the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, on taking a proactive approach and moving quickly to enact the legislation. The Bill provides for mandatory alcohol testing of all drivers who are involved in collisions that result in injuries. The Bill clarifies the powers of the Garda Síochána in dealing with such issues by placing a requirement on gardaí to conduct a preliminary breath test if they believe alcohol has been consumed.

I was involved with this issue in 2007 and I commend and compliment the different campaign groups who were also involved. A woman from Inishowen, Ms Susan Grey, is in the Visitors' Gallery tonight. She has been very proactive in campaigning as a result of her personal experience. She wanted to bring that past experience and knowledge about the issue to bear and we are discussing this today because of the various campaigning groups. In 2007, I was in contact with the then Minister for Transport, former Deputy Noel Dempsey. I am pleased this Government is working so closely on this issue.

We should look at how we arrived at this legislation. It is here because so many families in this State have suffered personal tragedies and lost loved ones in road accidents. Road safety became an issue as a result of those tragic experiences. We are now at a stage where there is huge involvement of local authorities, local paramedics and gardaí, and there are tough measures to enable them to act swiftly. All the combined efforts and experiences have brought us to this position today.

This legislation should be accompanied by a concerted effort by the Government to work in partnership with publicans. The Minister, Deputy Varadkar, will be aware from the programme for Government that we have considered reviewing the role of the local publican and how we can be proactive in getting publicans involved in road safety measures and combatting drink driving. Pubs play an important role in rural communities, tourism and employment; Fine Gael's election manifesto acknowledged the importance of pubs in rural communities. We have also proposed a ban on below cost selling of alcohol. I urge the Minister to work with the Vintners Federation of Ireland and the rural transport initiative on this issue. There might be a solution that would address the drink driving problem, give support to publicans and boost local communities. We must get back to basics in terms of examining the role of the local publican and not seeing it as a problem but considering possible solutions in partnership with the publicans. I urge the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, to do that.

Road safety is a national issue but, as my colleagues from the county will know, it is an issue that has particular importance for County Donegal. A total of 19 road deaths occurred in Donegal in 2010. In one road accident eight people died. It was the worst crash on Irish roads since records began. In 2009, 35% of road deaths in Ireland involved people aged under 25 years; in Donegal, the figure was 50%. The figure for Donegal in 2010 was 63%. We all know what has happened in these tragic accidents. As legislators, we attempt to introduce preventative programmes and measures, be it through education or by looking to different countries for examples of best practice with respect to driver training, to complement rule enforcement.

The Minister should examine the Finnish model of training for a B class licence. This comprises 30 hours of instructed driving including a slippery driving course, 20 theory lessons, a computerised theory test and a driving test in the city centre. A development that was brought to this House's attention by my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, when he was road safety spokesperson, is the technology of driver simulation. I understand various driving instructors are looking at new technologies in this area as a way of advancing more sophisticated and relevant driving training operations.

Ms Susan Gray, who is in the Visitors' Gallery today, has been championing this legislation for several years. While there are, unfortunately, too many examples of people who have lost loved ones in road traffic accidents, I compliment, in particular, Ms Gray and all the families who continue to campaign for change in this area. As Deputy McConalogue is aware, the Farren family in north Inishowen, who lost their daughter some years ago, have been active in ensuring other families do not go through the same loss. The Farren family and families from other parts of the country came together to a meeting of the Joint Committee on Transport some months ago seeking some form of dialogue with the Department of Transport in regard to their goals and objectives. We must not forget about these people and the work they do in their areas. I am sure Deputy McConalogue will keep the House informed in that regard.

There is a great deal of good work being done at local level. In my county there is a road safety working group where young people are taken from school to meet paramedics and fire rescue teams who have gone through the horrible experience of attending the scene of road accidents. We should examine the possibility of implementing that pilot model at national level as a preventative schools-based measure that will familiarise young people with the negative outcomes of reckless and dangerous driving.

I congratulate the Minister on being proactive and prompt in regard to this legislation. I reiterate my commendation of all those families who have contributed through various campaigns and efforts to the introduction of legislation that will make our roads safer and will ensure other families do not suffer as they have done.

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