Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

Senator Finucane referred to the National Safety Council in the context of road accidents. I will try to arrange a debate on road safety next week. Senator Quinn has also been seeking such a debate for some time. Senator Finucane also said that the Insurance Federation of Ireland is patting itself on the back about how much it has given. In light of the huge profits involved, however, the sum is quite derisory, as the Senator said.

Senator Leyden wants an ongoing debate on health pending the establishment of the relevant fora. He also wants action to be taken to avert the threatened strike at An Post, even though the matter has gone before the national implementation body.

Senator Norris mentioned the waffling responses concerning US flights into and out of Shannon. He said the flights constituted a breach of international law. He also referred to medical education and the Transport 21 initiative and we will have a good debate on those matters. I hope that everybody who has raised these matters will be here to debate them when they come before the House.

Senator Brennan raised the issue of management committees in local authorities. It has become a feature of planning in some local authorities that management committees are established to run new housing estates. Such business plans must also provide parking facilities. Although planning applications can be well thought out and structured, the new provisos are becoming penal for planners. It is wrong to make the establishment of a management committee a feature of planning applications. I personally think it is not legal to do so.