Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 4:

In page 17, to delete lines 33 to 42.

These amendments were discussed in detail on Committee Stage. They relate to the Minister's intention to exclude Members of the Oireachtas, MEPs and local authority councillors from membership of the road safety authority. Members were able to understand why MEPs and Members of the Oireachtas should be precluded from the board of the authority but there is no reason why local authority members should. They have vast experience of road safety, realigning roads, speed limits, etc. Members on all sides of the House — the Government, the Fine Gael benches and the Independent Senators — were all of the same opinion.

The Minister of State gave an assurance that he would review the matter overnight and come back with a positive response today. I hope he will accept the amendment because, as Senator O'Toole pointed out yesterday, there have been precedents where similar provisions in Bills put forward by parliamentary draftsmen were removed. There is no reason why this provision cannot be removed as well.

I implore the Minister of State, even at this late stage, to accept the amendments. I have discussed the matter with my colleague in the other House, Deputy Olivia Mitchell, and she will see to it that the Bill is allowed a quick passage through the other House if the Minister of State wants to re-amend it. I believe he is fully committed to this proposal, though there may be obstacles in his way. Perhaps the Minister, Deputy Cullen, is not in favour of it. The Minister of State indicated he has no problem with the proposal and on Committee Stage he assured Senators that he hoped to return on Report Stage with a favourable response.

There are more than 1,000 local authority members, both town and county councillors. They have considerable expertise in the area of road safety having collectively acquired thousands of years experience of local government. Surely they would have much to offer the board of the road safety authority. It is an insult to members of local authorities that they should be precluded from membership of the road safety authority on the grounds that they have been elected to represent the public. I ask the Minister of State to reconsider the provision and accept my amendment.