Cyprian Brady (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. Nobody relishes the thought of having to pay more for what used to be a luxury but in many cases is now a necessity – a private car. However, the fact that the resources generated by these measures and the local government fund in general are ring-fenced and used specifically to improve the roads, among other things, justifies the increases to a certain extent. There are similar examples in local authority areas. The parking charges in Dublin city have been very successful and those moneys have been invested in improving facilities for motorists.

The dramatic improvements in the quality of the roads throughout the country bears testament to the commitment of the Government to the enhancement of our infrastructure. In ways we are victims of our success. The increase in employment and the standard of living in recent years have obviously led to an increase in the number of cars on the roads, a phenomenon we have all experienced. The expenditure of €1.71 billion on non-national roads between 2000 and 2002 has borne results.

Senator Kitt mentioned road markings and signage. Although there is a certain discrepancy when moving from county to county, these have dramatically improved. While this improvement has prevented a number of accidents, more needs to be done on this area.

If possible motorist education should be seriously considered, particularly in secondary schools and colleges. If some of the revenues raised were targeted at this area, it would complement the points system, which has proved particularly successful in recent times. The Traffic Education School at Clontarf has been a huge attraction for schools throughout the city. For years it has been used to educate youngsters about the rules of the road. These issues have to be tackled at a young age. People are driving at a younger age and in many cases it is impossible for them to get insurance, but that is another day's discussion. Incentives for people to improve their driving skills should also be introduced.