Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is the same as with us driving and the L-plate drivers. They use discretion all the time. They are not going around like tanks crashing into and rolling over people, as the Minister seems to think. It was the Minister who decided to recommit the Bill and that gave us the opportunity to debate the parameters. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle read out all the items in the amendment and the different Road Traffic Acts over a number of years. It was the Minister who decided to widen this provision. He could have stuck with the Bill he had, bad and all as it was, but this is a further widening to frighten the life out of young people driving. The vast majority of them are wonderful people who are trying to further their education, get jobs and apprenticeships and be part of the economy.

The Taoiseach told us this morning that we have almost full employment. We want people to be able to travel to work. They cannot crawl or go in a boat. This is Ireland. It is not that big a place. We are not so remote from Dublin that we do not know or understand. We understand the situation very well. With the forbearance of the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, we are entitled to represent our people and our views on the doubling up of the Bill. As I said, cyclists will be brought into it as well. I am talking about this part of the Bill and despite recommital, it is why we called a vote last night. I was lamenting the fact that in the last Dáil, I was a member of a Technical Group and fundamentally opposed the outlook of many of its members. They called votes at different times and asked me if I would stand up with them and I did so to allow a vote. There is nothing wrong with standing up to allow the political process to be fulfilled in enabling a vote. When members of another party were so anxious to vote, they were disallowed and told they could not stand up to facilitate a vote. That is not democracy. If it is democracy, it is a very unhealthy one. If Deputy Troy or others are annoyed about that-----

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