Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)

They occasionally make mistakes. I previously raised with the Minister the issue of motorcycles. I was appalled to learn from him that 70% of motorcyclists do not hold a full licence and that a similar proportion have not taken a test or received a single day's training. To quote the Minister: "They simply buy a bike, obtain a provisional licence and off they go". The Minister pointed out that pillion passengers account for a significant proportion of fatalities in motorcycle accidents despite it being illegal for provisional licence holders to carry a pillion passenger. The Minister also stated he was considering the current age limit of 16 years for motorcyclists but I have heard nothing since then. Has the Minister any news on this?

The privatisation of speed cameras would be dangerous. I was amazed to learn that the British Labour Party has made a major U-turn in regard to speed cameras. Last year, in England alone, speed cameras brought in approximately £17 million. The minister responsible for transport, Mr. Tony McNulty MP, wrote to all councils and local police forces to ensure that cameras were used fairly, and an audit of all cameras is underway to ascertain which cameras reduce accidents, the benchmark by which success is measured. Surely the cameras which bring in most revenue are failing miserably. All speed cameras in Ireland should be audited to find whether accidents have reduced in particular areas and to quantify that reduction.

Motorists resent receiving anonymous speeding fines. It is hard to stomach a punishment when caught travelling at 61 miles per hour in a 60 miles per hour zone. The situation would be improved by having gardaí present to enforce the speed limit laws. While it is hard to accept a fine at the time, gardaí can at least allow some latitude if a driver is narrowly over a speed limit. On the other hand, cameras lead to public resentment. The Minister should consider the British experience and ensure we do not simply follow the example of that country, as we normally do, but learn from its mistakes. I reiterate that a complete U-turn has been taken in Britain, which now accepts that speed cameras are to change driver behaviour, not to produce revenue.

I am not sure what the Minister was like in school but feel he might have been weak in the area of science. One scientific principle which stands out is Newton's law that for every action there is an equal but opposite reaction.