Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for that reply. I originally tabled the question for the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and the position has since improved. Clones Town Council is the local statutory agency that has constantly brought this matter to our attention. I commend the Garda Síochána in the Cavan-Monaghan division and the local members of the PSNI in Fermanagh on their policing work in this area. It is a very difficult area to police. If someone travels from Clones to Cavan, he passes through Fermanagh on three occasions.

In previous questions, I asked the Tánaiste to ensure this issue is kept on the agenda at North-South Ministerial Council meetings and the Tánaiste undertook that, along with the Minister for Justice and Equality, he would raise the matter with the Minister for Justice in the Northern Executive. We want to reassure the local community that the matter will be given constant attention. I have had numerous complaints from older members of the community in Fermanagh, Cavan and Monaghan who were extremely frightened by the outrageous driving practices, such as joy riding, so-called "doughnutting" and other dangerous practices on particular stretches of that road, particularly in Fermanagh, on different occasions.

There is also constant ambulance traffic between Monaghan General Hospital and Cavan General Hospital and we want to ensure no tragedies occur on that stretch of road. I ask the Minister to keep the matter under consideration along with his northern counterpart.

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