Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

The Leader of the Opposition, Senator Brian Hayes, raised the need for a debate on road safety, echoing what Senator Quinn said last week. The Road Traffic Bill 2004 will be taken in the Seanad next week. However, I am aware it covers a different matter.

The Senator also asked to whom the NRA is accountable. We cannot have bodies that have no regard to anybody. The Minister may intervene or speak with such bodies on certain issues. However, it is an independent body. People have for a long time been asking questions regarding crash barriers. The NRA took a unilateral decision not to erect them. Now it is putting them up. Crash barriers are currently being erected on the bypass around Athlone over a distance of three or four miles. I also take the point that such barriers might be demountable in the case of a crash.

Senator O'Toole raised the issue of the proposed M3 motorway through Tara. He referred to last week's debate on the matter and congratulated the newly appointed Chairman of the Joint Committee on the Environment and Local Government, Deputy Haughey. When I read the newspapers today I took the view, like Senator O'Toole, that Deputy Haughey will be his own person.