Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy, my fellow Tipperary man, for the eloquent speech on many different topics. We all accept we are in a difficult situation from a geographical perspective, given what the UK Government has planned and is doing. We acknowledge the need for a common road charging regime to be established, where only one charge is applied but persons paying can use roads in a number of different countries. While we are looking to establish a common road charging regime between the UK and Ireland, several groups must come to the table, including the UK Government.

Everything is being done to help the hauliers on the issue. I have met the hauliers in our county and have brought them here to meet the departmental officials and discuss this and other issues. I know the employment they bring and the SME nature of what they do. I have relations in the business and know exactly what they are going through and the difficulties. It needs a collective approach and everything is being done. We need to reach a point with the UK Government where we can create a regime which creates a form of equality; otherwise, there will be a race to the bottom regarding these charges, which would be unacceptable.

As a former MEP the Deputy referred to several regulations and the red tape which results from them. The Deputy was a member of the Government that brought in most of the regulations and ensured, in some cases, that the most extreme interpretations of these regulations were implemented.

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