Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Where does that kind of thinking leave us in this Parliament? The biggest attack here is on the elected members and their powers, which are limited enough. We cannot have a road straightening for safety if we have a bad bend. We put up with it all summer, every summer that we cannot cut the briars. The bushes hanging out and briars could take the eyes off a cyclist or tear their face. We cannot cut them between 1 March and July. Surely to God health and safety must be somewhere in the balance with road safety. It is nonsense that people cannot do something for the interests of safety. It is shocking. We can do all these vanity projects, as many of them are. I respect cyclists and try to respect them as best I can on the road and share the road. Now it looks like people who have diesel or petrol cars are going to be banished from travelling the road. Will we be back on the ass and trap? Will they be allowed? If the poor old ass broke wind he would be banished too.

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