Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I apologise. Yesterday I asked the Taoiseach whether he had spoken to the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport regarding a report published in the most recent edition of The Sunday Business Post which detailed interference with the work of road safety officers employed by the Road Safety Authority, RSA, by the president of the Irish Road Haulage Society, Ms Verona Murphy, who happens to be a Fine Gael candidate in the by-elections. The Taoiseach stated the matter had nothing to do with him. I suggest it has everything to do with him. He is the Taoiseach of the Government and road safety is a key priority of the programme for Government. The RSA has been instrumental in saving lives and reducing injury.

The Taoiseach told me yesterday that he would speak to the Minister. He confirmed he read the article but said he did not to know too much about it. Interference with a safety officer is a very serious matter, particularly in the context of an organisation the sole remit of which is to save lives and reduce injuries. Surely the Taoiseach has a view on whether it is okay to spend 45 minutes remonstrating with a safety officer doing his job. Such behaviour is unacceptable and should be condemned.

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