Mary White (Fianna Fail)

As the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government, Deputy Gallagher, could deliver value for money based on this motor taxation increase, he should get that message across by improving sign-posting, which is generally dismal. Recently I drove 200 miles across England and even in foggy and misty conditions we were able to get from Penzance to Bristol due to good road signs. We need major signposts here to indicate the general direction, with other signs to show local roads.

Two weeks ago, I left a transport conference in Clonmel at 11 p.m. and ended up driving in circles around the town. I could not get out of Clonmel that night because the signposting for Dublin was appalling. As a person who worked in a local authority organisation for 14 years, I believe there is not sufficient transparency for what the engineers deliver. There are people who are not accountable for their work.

Road markings throughout the country are generally appalling. As Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government, Deputy Gallagher should demand of county managers that they deliver road signs and markings of a standard quality. As Senator Quinn said, there is no doubt that the road markings on the side of roads are so dangerous that they lend themselves to accidents happening, particularly in the glare from the lights of oncoming traffic.

In the area of Dundrum in which I live, a bypass, which was on the drawing board for the past 30 years, has been built, but it is disastrous. In the construction of the Wickham bypass, account was not taken of the growth in traffic. The laneways on the bypass are too narrow and the slip-roads for access to the M50 are badly designed.