Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am disappointed that very little of the contribution to the debate this evening by Members opposite dealt with the detail of the report of the Garda Inspectorate. It is a very detailed report containing very worthwhile recommendations some of which involve administrative change and some change in legislation. Some of the recommendations affect the Garda Síochána and relate to the courts and how they address road traffic issues. In light of all the concerns that have been expressed about this issue it is extraordinary that in five hours of discussion one would be hard pressed to find a reference to the detail of the recommendations being considered in any extensive way by any Members opposite. It is in the public interest to deal with this issue. The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar, and I are committed to implementing the recommendations contained in the report of the Garda Inspectorate.

Those familiar with the report will know there are some recommendations that can be implemented with reasonable speed, with some to be implemented in the medium term and some in the long term. The long-term recommendations will be particularly beneficial in ensuring that in future there will no difficulties of the nature we have seen. They involve an amount of expenditure which neither Department has available overnight, as the inspectorate acknowledged, while not expecting that such funding would be discovered overnight.

I hope that when one moves away from political debate involving charge, counter-charge and allegation, we can all agree in the House on at least one objective that should not be a matter of political controversy - that is, to make our roads safer and bring a further reduction in the level of fatalities.

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