Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In Ireland we benefit from a high percentage of car ownership, which is not the case in any other European country. That means we have a higher percentage of people who pay road tax. The very least those who pay motor tax on their cars can expect is to travel on safe roads. The sorry situation now is that many roads are unsafe because we have not invested enough in road restoration. The figures the Minister outlined from 2007 to 2015 include new constructions. We have not had new roads constructed in recent years but we have had a siphoning off of money raised from road tax for the establishment of what in the words of the Minister is a super quango, namely, Irish Water. It is not surprising that motorists are infuriated by the condition of the roads. I ask the Minister to ensure that the bulk of the motor tax people pay is ring-fenced to ensure we have the necessary resources to maintain the infrastructure that has been put in place over many years.

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