Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing my time with Deputy McGuinness who is from Kilkenny and knows Roseann and her family.

I welcome the opportunity to contribute on this Bill and compliment Deputy Ellis on providing this opportunity in the House. Fianna Fáil supports the Bill and I am pleased the House is in agreement on this important proposal on road safety. Debate earlier today and on most days features rancour between parties on issues on which we have significant differences. I expect the fact we are all in agreement on this issue will reduce the level of publicity the issue might otherwise get, but it is appropriate we maintain this level of coherence when trying to find a resolution to death and injury on our roads. Road safety is an issue that has bedevilled society for decades, but significant progress has been made in the past ten to 15 years in terms of policies advanced, laws put in place and the results achieved. This is welcome.

A huge debt of gratitude is owed to the family of Jake Brennan, to Roseann, her wider family and the support group around her. As others have said, the pain and suffering associated with the loss of any close family member, particularly a child, in such tragic circumstances is beyond imagination. The selfless approach taken by Roseann and her family in response to their grief by attempting to put in place a legacy attaching to Jake will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the lives of countless families for generations to come. We owe it to her and her family and to the support group around her to find whatever solution we can to resolve this difficult issue.

This issue is multifaceted. It is not just about the reduction of the speed limit, the publicity around today or just about educating drivers. It is all of that and more. It is about investing in detection, surveillance and in ensuring that people are reminded on a continual basis of the impact of inappropriate speed, particularly in densely populated areas where children are at play. Like Deputy O'Donnell and others, I represent a constituency that is populated with many new estates. These estates have a mixture of residents, from those who are renting to those who own and occupy their own homes. Often side by side with these are young people who are living away from home for the first time. They have access to vehicles, and may be somewhat careless as they are not conscious of the fact that they are living in an environment where young children are going out to play. Dealing with this issue involves education and highlighting of the dangers associated with driving a little above the normal speed in these built up areas.

Notwithstanding the setting of speed limits to a lower level and the putting in place of appropriate enforcement, I have always believed that because of the huge number of such estates in densely populated areas, it is extremely difficult to enforce the regulations to the greatest extent possible. Therefore, more should be done in terms of planning laws. I am aware there are some good guidelines and that some of our newer estates have meandering roads aimed at reducing travelling speed on those roads. I was impressed by something I saw recently in the United Kingdom. There, in addition to speed bumps, they build up kerbs and create pinch points in densely populated areas where children play. This provides an effective way to reduce travelling speed. The higher kerb and the narrowing of the road are effective because if the driver does not slow down or moves off course, he will do significant damage to the side of his car. I believe that knowing this is as effective is having a speed limit and the potential threat of being caught for speeding.

We must consider a cumulative approach to this issue. We could create pinch points like this at the entrance to and at various points in estates, particularly large estates, so that we force people to face this pinch point or hazard and so that the penalty for failing to reduce speed is immediate, namely damage to people's cars. This may seem obvious, but it was something I had not observed previously and think is a good idea. This is a fantastic and helpful Bill and we must find a way to enact it. At the same time, we need to continue to do more. In doing more, we will be honouring Jake and creating a legacy for him. As a Legislature, we will be providing the appropriate response to his family.

The Minister spoke about the importance of interaction with local authorities. Perhaps all parties are guilty of running down good ideas. If somebody comes up with a good idea at local level, other parties go against it because it did not come from them. I hope this attitude is put to one side on this issue and that we come up with an appropriate and co-operative response to find the way to achieve results at local level. This will cost money, but that money should be provided. It should be a requirement of all new developments - something that should be easy now that few new developments are being built - to have in place effective traffic calming measures. We cannot be satisfied with just a winding road that some traffic planners say reduces effective speed. I have seen people test those roads, which gives me little confidence that they force drivers to drive at a safe limit or that they ensure a safe environment for children to play in.

I am delighted the Minister is taking a balanced approach and accepting the views of all sides of the House in an attempt to reduce the number of deaths on our roads. I also commend the involvement of Rita Malone, from Clonlara in my constituency, whose son Oran, aged eight, was seriously injured last September in an accident, but who thankfully survived. Many other families are affected by this issue and a number of them have come together as we have seen.

Fair play to the Brennans for highlighting this issue and for sleeping outside Dáil Éireann in the cold weather. It is that kind of tenacity and courage that gives us the impetus to do what is right and hopefully we can pass this Bill.

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