Feargal Quinn (Independent)

My hair is getting longer – I think I would pass for the Senator.

Three young men died last week in a car crash near where I live. Perhaps it is only when something happens close to one's home that one realises the huge tragedy of the road deaths we hear about on the radio every day. It is unlikely that we can solve this problem, but there are some things we can do. Would it be possible to bring the Minister responsible here for a debate on provisional driving licences? I have mentioned this many times before. Hundreds of thousands of those who are driving have never passed a test and there is a six-month wait for tests in many parts of the country. This is something we can grab hold of and deal with.

The tragedy of the deaths of three young men is not unusual nowadays, although three deaths in one car is perhaps a little unusual. Every day since then we have read of more deaths on the road. We can do something about this. Let us make sure the Minister tells us what he intends to do.