Mary Henry (Independent)

The Government should not take greatly to heart any criticism about the greatly improved attitude towards driving. Criticism in this area is good because we keep on looking at the mortality figures, not at the morbidity figures, which, as the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Deputy McDaid, knows, are dramatically decreasing. This is very important because while death represents a terrible tragedy for the families involved, the morbidity figures are shocking. I am a member of the board of Peamount Hospital where we have a special unit for what are described as people with long-term neurological disabilities, all as a result of car and motor-bike accidents. This is an appalling situation for the people concerned, most of whom will not be in a position to recover and are a huge burden on the finances of the State. We must do everything possible to avoid people finding themselves in such a position.

While I congratulate the Minister on bringing forward the penalty points system, the more we do the better because this is an area we have neglected for far too long.