John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister for bringing the Bill before the House. I wish Deputy Buttimer all the best in respect of becoming a Minister and obtaining the services of a driver. I am sure that will happen one day.

The Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2011 amends the mandatory alcohol testing provision of the Road Traffic Act 2010 to ensure that mandatory testing will be carried out at the lower drink driving limits when the necessary equipment is introduced later this month. The latter Act, which lowered the drink driving limits and introduced mandatory roadside testing for drivers involved in collisions, is extremely important legislation brought forward by the previous Government. It passed into law in July of last year.

During the past 20 years a great deal of legislation relating to road safety has been introduced. The Road Safety Authority, which was established under one of the relevant Acts, is doing a tremendous job in promoting safe driving and ensuring compliance. Some of the messages the authority is trying to get across are aimed at young people in particular. Part of its campaign involves the broadcasting of a number of television advertisements which are extremely stark in nature but which emphasise to young people the real dangers of speeding, drink driving etc. It is important that the Road Safety Authority should continue to enjoy the Minister's support. It should also continue to receive the financial support it requires in order that it might persevere with its campaigns relating to road safety and education.

Deputy Buttimer and others referred to the importance of education. It is important that the education of young people in respect of road safety should remain a central plank of any enforcement policies into the future. The policy of providing lessons on road use and road safety in schools has lapsed over the years. Perhaps it might be possible to put in place a scheme to promote road safety education either through the vocational system or via ordinary second level schools. Like many others, I am involved with a GAA club. The club of which I am a member has run programmes in respect of drug awareness and suicide awareness. I wonder whether it might be possible to use sporting clubs and organisations to a greater degree in order to highlight the dangers of drink driving and speeding to young people. Perhaps we could encourage the IRFU, the FAI and the GAA to engage, in conjunction with the Road Safety Authority and the Minister, in a promotional campaign to highlight this matter.

In recent years, people have become far more responsible. Many of them leave their cars behind at pubs and clubs if they have consumed alcohol - a few pints, a number of shorts or whatever - and do not take the chance of driving them home. This is a good development.

Insurance companies, the Vintners Federation of Ireland and the alcohol companies are making some contribution but I am of the opinion that they should make a larger financial contribution in the context of the promotion of education on road safety. The Minister has not been in office for very long and I have no intention of criticising him. When he is replying, perhaps he might comment on this matter. Insurance and alcohol companies are making huge profits. This year, the cost of motor and home insurance has gone through the roof and insurance companies will make massive amounts of money as a result. Perhaps the Minister will outline the financial contribution the companies to which I refer are making in the area of promoting road safety. I am of the opinion that their contribution in this regard is not sufficient.

Those of us who represent rural areas have argued the case in respect of a more lenient code of conduct for those who live in such areas. I accept that it would probably be impossible to put such a code in place. As Deputy Calleary will attest, many members and former members of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party engaged in arguments with the previous Minister for Transport, former Deputy Noel Dempsey, regarding the problems that exist in rural areas and the lack of transport for people who live there. This is a matter to which consideration must be given. There are some publicans who provide transport home at night for their customers. However, it is difficult for them to have taxi services on standby because people go home from the pub at different times. Perhaps this matter might be examined in the context of the rural transport initiative. I accept that difficulties could arise if it came to implementing a scheme to have people transported home from pubs at night. I have been informed by some individuals involved in operating the rural transport system that on many occasions their vehicles are not in use late at night. In such circumstances, it might be possible to introduce a scheme which would involve the Department, publicans and rural transport operators in order that people in rural areas might be transported home safely from their local pubs at night.

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