John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputy Timmy Dooley for sharing time.

I welcome this debate because it provides us with the opportunity to discuss road safety, the roadworthiness of trucks and various other issues. My party supports any measures which will improve road safety. We have a proud record in this regard.

I hope the Minister of State will clarify a number of matters. I refer, for example, to the cap on licence fees and the status of the 140 local authority staff whose services will no longer be necessary when the centralisation of services occurs. What will happen to the staff to whom I refer? I accept that they probably have some rights under the Croke Park agreement, but many of them are extremely concerned.

Fianna Fáil and the former Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey, were very much to the fore in promoting road safety. Mr. Dempsey was heavily criticised on all sides of the House at times for his tough and stringent attitude on the issue. He was not for turning on many of the issues he considered important to road safety such as changing the drink driving laws. Some of the decisions taken at the time have borne fruit, with a serious reduction in the number of fatalities on the roads. Any fatality, particularly of a young person, on the roads is traumatic for his or her family. My daughter was killed in a road accident involving a truck. Therefore, I am very much aware of the traumatic effect a road fatality has on a family. Any decision taken to improve road safety must be welcomed.

I was involved in the oil business for many years. The standard of trucks nowadays is very good compared to what it was in the late 1970s and the early 1980s when there were many substandard trucks on the roads. One depended on the local garageman on many occasions to keep an old truck on the road, despite the fact it would not really have been roadworthy. We now have state-of-the-art trucks, nearly all of which are kept in good condition by their owners, be it a small family-run haulage business or a larger haulier company. The Minister of State said, however, that 18% of road fatalities involved trucks or commercial vehicles, a number which is still too high.

One concern raised on many occasions is the danger posed by trucks to cyclists, particularly in towns and cities. A number of cyclists have been killed when dragged underneath a truck trying to manoeuvre around main and side streets, sometimes unbeknownst to the driver. It is important that cyclists are allowed to travel and go about their business with the same safety enjoyed by other transport users.

The issue of truck parkways was raised; it is one which has been raised with me by many transport operators. They point out that they are required under EU regulations to take breaks from driving, but they have nowhere to park their trucks in seeking to do so. I find that many of them are parking adjacent to housing estates, I presume for the security of knowing that there are many people nearby. Those living in housing estates are concerned about the dangers these trucks pose to young children and people going in and out of the estates. There is, therefore, a need for designated truck parkways. I do not blame the Minister of State for this, however. When I was a member some time ago of the local authority in Wexford, I often raised the point that even with all the grandiose county development plans in place, there were few designated areas where trucks could park. I know several reviews of development plans are taking place, as well as the rezoning of many lands. It is important that new areas are designated for truck parkways. Some suggest such parkways also need to provide for the availability of diesel stations and shops. However, all that is needed is a designated area where truck drivers can park freely and out of danger to other vehicles and pedestrians. This issue should be examined in liaison with local authorities.

A serious bone of contention among Irish transport operators is that truck drivers from other countries do not seem to receive the same attention or rigour of the law as they do. They consider the Garda and transport inspectors more or less ignore foreign trucks when checking roadworthiness, the correct use of diesel and so forth, meaning they cannot operate like with like. It is an area that needs to be examined. Perhaps there is a problem in that the laws of the land cannot be imposed on a foreign truck here.

Deputy Timmy Dooley raised the matter of laundered fuel which was discussed in the House last week. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, said he had a working group in his Department, comprising departmental officials and representatives of the hauliers' associations, seeking a solution to this problem. I hope a solution can be arrived at as quickly as possible. Not alone is it unfair on legitimate operators but the State is also losing significant revenue. It is also important that Irish transport operators have access to the perks enjoyed by hauliers from other EU member states.

The Road Safety Authority will take over the functions of local authorities in determining commercial vehicle roadworthiness. I am not one - perhaps the Minister of State is the same – for having too much centralisation. In fact, we should be getting away from it. I had hoped local authorities would be given more powers in this regard, rather than passing everything up the line to others in Dublin and the RSA. A concern among local authority staff is that there will be severe job changes. Will the Minister of State clarify that those operating in this area in local authorities will be transferred to other duties or given the opportunity of working with the RSA? It is important that as many of these staff as possible are taken on board with the RSA or given other job opportunities in the local authority system or the Department.

The Bill is moving in the right direction and will improve safety on the roads. As Deputy Timmy Dooley pointed out, a road fatality is very traumatic for the family affected. Improved road safety would also see a reduction in hospital admissions. The Bill's regulations to improve road safety are to be welcomed, but I hope the Minister of State will clarify some of the issues I raised. We must ensure our truck operators continue to operate to a high standard.

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