Dominic Hannigan (Labour)

Yesterday was the anniversary of the launch of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. On the same day we learned from a child safety expert, Dr. Alf Richardson of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, that the death rate of children in road crashes in Ireland is twice as high as in Sweden. Is it not time that more funds were allocated to road safety for children? The National Roads Authority in its pre-budget submission says that given the downturn in the housing construction industry, it is time to put more money into road improvements, and this will not increase inflation. Will the Leader impress on the Minister the need to put funds into road safety improvement measures, particularly outside schools, so we can improve our accident statistics involving children?

I note that the UK Government has managed to lose personal data on 25 million of its citizens. Last week, a survey in Ireland showed that half the computers that come onto the second-hand market in Ireland contain data such as names, addresses, PPS numbers and bank details. We must be vigilant in protecting identities and preventing identity theft, both in the case of individuals and organisations. Will the Leader invite the relevant Minister to the House to explain what he intends to do to raise awareness of the issue of identity theft?