Feargal Quinn (Independent)

I hope the Cathaoirleach will excuse me if I make a personal point, but I notice he has been in particularly good humour over the past ten days. I have also noticed that everyone else has been in a better mood. I was not sure whether this was due to the smoking ban, but I have now come to the conclusion that it is due to the extra hour of daylight in the evening. I was interested to discover yesterday that in the UK there are moves afoot to reintroduce double summer time, or to change the standard time to central European time. The campaign is called Free Britain from the Tyranny of Greenwich Mean Time.

The reason I raise this is the figure that was introduced following the worthwhile steps taken yesterday by the Minister for Transport, Deputy Brennan, to enhance road safety. In the UK it is estimated that an extra hour of daylight all year round would prevent 450 deaths and serious injuries on the roads. It is time we reintroduced this debate. Will the Leader consider inviting the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to the House to discuss this matter? Some years ago an effort was made to move to central European time. The opposition to this was based on the argument that the UK was not likely to do the same. We should be willing to leave the nursery even if nanny does not come with us. We should consider the benefits to the country not just in business terms, but in the area of road safety and so on, if we joined central European time rather than being hooked to the UK.

I mentioned the subject of car insurance yesterday. I was delighted to read the comments of the Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy O'Dea, in today's Irish Examiner that he will not back the EU's proposals on motor insurance. He will meet members of the Irish Insurance Federation today to explain this to them. It is estimated that if we accept this proposal, women's motor insurance premiums will rise by an average of €750 per year. It is political correctness gone mad to insist on gender equality in this area rather than applying lower premiums to those who are safer drivers. It appears that women are safer drivers than men.