Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 1:

In page 6, between lines 46 and 47, to insert the following:

"(5) Without prejudice to any other subsection in this section, the Authority shall further have amongst its responsibilities, the following:

(a) the registration of vehicles and retention of data pertaining to the ownership of vehicles;

(b) driver testing;

(c) registration of qualified driving instructors;

(d) maintenance of the national driver file;

(e) education of drivers, and promotion of educational and information campaigns for safe and responsible driving;

(f) maintenance, management and revision, as appropriate, of the Rules of the Road;

(g) maintenance of road signage and markings;

(h) policy advice to the Minister and certain other bodies as prescribed by this Act; and

(i) such other matters as the Minister may prescribe from time to time.".

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Gallagher, back to the House. We were here for three hours yesterday on Committee Stage of this Bill, and there was a good debate. Many interesting points were raised.

I have submitted this amendment again, and we gave it a good airing yesterday. It would give the road safety authority the power to look after maintenance, road signage, markings and a number of other issues. It would act to pull a number of agencies together with regard to areas of responsibility. These would include, for example, the Garda; the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform; the Department of Transport; the Department of the Environment and Local Government; and local government. All these could be pulled together by one agency, the road safety authority. This amendment would ensure this would be done effectively and state the purpose in the legislation.

We have given the amendment a good airing and I hope the Minister of State would have considered the amendment again overnight.