Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

That is agreed.

Last weekend, eight people died on our roads. Everybody saw the pictures of the horrific accidents on their television screens. On many occasions Senators on all sides of the House have raised the issue of road safety. We were assured that the Government intended to take tough action in this regard and that there would be greater commitment to road safety, both financially and otherwise. However, yesterday the chairman of the Road Safety Authority, Mr. Gay Byrne, painted a picture of the Government's attitude to road safety which seemed to be more a case of passing the buck than showing leadership and determination. I am amazed to read his comments in today's Irish Independent. He stated, "I am merely registering the fact that I have had no official reply from the Minister of Transport, Justice or Finance....". He said he had been passed from the Department of Transport to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and on to the Department of Finance in an effort to roll out a nationwide network of 600 private speed cameras.

If this is the way the chairman of the Road Safety Authority is being treated by the Government, what priority is being given to road safety and speed cameras? Is it merely words, not actions? That is so often the case with this Government — the words are spoken but the follow-up and money are not put in place. Once the crisis is passed, the issue is forgotten. How can the chairman of the Road Safety Authority be treated this way with regard to what he was told was a priority issue for 2006? It now appears it will be 2009 before the speed cameras are in place.

There are a number of other aspects of the road safety issue which received much attention a few months ago. One of them is driving tests. The Minister for Transport put his reputation on the line when he said driving tests would be available on demand by June. Can I bring to the attention of the House the latest figures which are available? There are waiting times of 40 weeks in Clifden, 35 weeks in Raheny, 31 weeks in Wicklow and Roscommon, 30 weeks in Ennis, 29 weeks in Loughrea and 20 weeks in Tallaght. Where is the improvement? How can learner drivers get their driving tests done in time — before the changes are made — when the waiting lists are so long? What action has been taken? Will the Minister resign? He said his reputation would be on the line if changes were not made by June. I ask the Leader to get back to the House about this aspect of road safety. Will this Government promise be delivered? It does not look as if it can be delivered, on the basis of the figures I have outlined.

I would like the Leader to ask the Minister for Transport about the number of foreign drivers on our roads. We have to be careful not to stereotype foreign drivers by saying they are involved in proportionately more accidents. The Government has not taken steps to ensure that road signs are made available in languages other than English, which would be a practical thing to do. Such signs would be of assistance when people from other countries are driving from Dublin Airport to the M50, for example. It is difficult enough for any of us to negotiate the M50. This is a real issue. The recently updated road safety booklet was published in English only. Such matters need to be examined. I am sure specific initiatives could be taken to assist international drivers who come to Ireland and, possibly, make it less likely that they are involved in accidents. Action is needed in respect of each of the three road safety issues I have mentioned.