Noel Coonan (Fine Gael)

Following the deaths of two young people, aged 17, in Templemore I support calls for a debate on road safety. Our sympathies go to their families. Not only were the families of the young people who lost their lives devastated but so were those of the other people involved in the accident.

A debate is necessary on three issues. It is time road safety was a part of the national and secondary school curricula. We must examine facilities for young people, particularly in rural areas, because there is very little for them to do, though that is not an excuse. The third issue for debate is the implementation of legislation which already exists and the necessity for appropriate deterrents and penalties. For example, the Garda Síochána caught a person speeding at 197 km/h but it was not deemed to be dangerous driving. We must have consistent implementation of the law.