James Carroll (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister. It is the second time he has appeared since I became a Member of this House. I welcome the Road Traffic Bill. Senator Ellis spoke on many elements of this Bill and the most important aspect is that it represents another step in saving lives on Irish roads. We all want to see this and we welcome this aspect of the Bill. I congratulate the Minister on receiving the PIN award from the European Transport Safety Council. This highlights that road safety measures we are taking are seen across Europe, as well is having an impact on Ireland. A number of international newspapers focused on what we are doing with our economy through austerity measures and trying to turn things around at the economic level. This award shows the good work of the Minister and his predecessors is being taken into account across Europe in respect of road safety. While researching my contribution to this debate, I was horrified to learn there were 640 road deaths in 1972. I note the comparable figure today is approximately one third of that number, even though there has been a quadrupling of the number of vehicles on the roads. One can imagine the traffic levels on the roads, especially on rural roads, back in the 1950s and 1960s and while the advent of a degree of wealth in the 1960s probably led to a large increase in car numbers, road behaviour and attitudes probably did not change much. The Minister can derive great pleasure from the simple fact that people are alive and will remain alive as a result of this legislation and of previous legislation he has introduced. This is a great achievement and it is a great honour for the Government to introduce such legislation.

The current road safety strategy contains 126 actions and in his response the Minister might outline their status and how precisely they are being measured. While I acknowledge they are being measured in an objective manner, it is in the nature of such items that some of them will be analysed subjectively. I ask the Minister to flesh out precisely how progress on the actions is proceeding and whether success is being achieved. While one can have all the key objectives in the world, one must break them down into precise actions and steps regarding how they are to be achieved. I ask the Minister to elaborate on this.

I note Senator Ó Brolcháin has just mentioned this issue but as the youngest Member of the Oireachtas, I believe the appropriate blood alcohol concentration level is 0 milligrams. I acknowledge it has been suggested that the presence of alcohol in medication means that reaching this limit might not be completely achievable. However, younger people of my generation with whom I went to school or with whom I work on a daily basis - outside this House of course - all concur that when going out, one simply does not drink and drive. Previously, I used to work with my father and noticed that ten or 15 years ago, people of his generation would have had four or five pints and then would have hopped in the car and driven home. I thought nothing of it at the time because that was the norm. However, younger people take taxis or designate drivers, although some pubs are lax in their provision of free soft drinks to such designated drivers. I am sure the Fine Gael Members opposite will concur that a blood alcohol concentration limit of 0 milligrams should be put in place. In many respects, this probably is a generational issue. It may be that people of my father's or grandparents' generation would believe it was okay to drink and drive because that was the cultural experience of the time. However, younger people realise that one simply does not do this and that if going out, one gets a taxi or one goes out as part of a group.

I wish to digress slightly from the legislation and to touch on Senator Ryan's comments on the categorisation of roads. While the motorway infrastructure is one of the best legacies of the Celtic tiger, some county roads or local primary, secondary and tertiary routes are suffering as a result of the bad weather and inclement conditions experienced over the past six months. A number of people have been in contact with me, through my clinics and my office, with regard to the categorisation of roads. Some people have different interpretations of the manner in which roads have been categorised and seek to have particular roads recategorised to a higher level in order that works are completed or undertaken on them. The Minister should touch on this subject in his response.

I note that section 9 of the Bill introduces mandatory testing of drivers in any road traffic accidents and incidents that take place. The Minister has strengthened this Bill by providing that where a garda is of the impression that a person has consumed alcohol, he or she may be tested mandatorily. As previous speakers also noted, I have been randomly breath-tested twice. Once, while zipping up the road as I rushed home from college to attend a political meeting, luckily within the speed limit, I went over the brow of a hill and was stopped and randomly breath-tested. This definitely has an effect as human nature is highly interesting. I have read studies to the effect that Italian and Irish people have a healthy disrespect for the law, whatever that may be defined as. However, there must be a fear factor, in that people must believe the legislation will be implemented strictly. They must believe the Garda will be present at corners or on the roads at times such as bank holidays to implement the legislation by randomly breath-testing people. People must see that the legislation is being implemented. There are issues in respect of the effectiveness of drugs testing because of various factors and I ask the Minister to elaborate on that in his reply.

My personal, family and community experience underline the importance of education in shaping people's perspectives. Although many advertisements pertaining to smoking, drink-driving and speeding have been highly effective, a focus on tiredness would be welcome. While it may not appear to be as important, all Members have travelled on long journeys, have been absolutely exhausted and have seen the effects of tiredness. I have spoken to various people who have nodded off at the side of the road, which has caused accidents. Personally, while driving to and from Dublin, I have pulled in many times, having felt the impact of lack of sleep as it is very important to take a rest. This issue will become important.

I wish to touch on another "E", that is, the key factor of enforcement. Although people seek real enforcement of this Bill, personal responsibility is critical. I originally am from Monasterboice, County Louth, through which the N1 used to run before the construction of the M1. As a child, I can recall seeing some horrific accidents as I passed by. Once, as a secondary school student getting off a bus, I saw a young chap with whom I went to school being knocked down. That was one of the most horrific experiences and visions one might ever see. Luckily, he survived but sadly, many people who were knocked down along that route died. Some people with whom I went to primary school were killed and a number of fatalities took place all along that route. At the time it was considered, especially along the Border, that drivers came down from the North and flew right down through the spine of County Louth without paying any heed to the road traffic legislation in the Republic and did what they wished. In addition, however, some people were driving faster than the speed limit. In addition, others were drinking and then either walking on the road or driving on it and the consequences are evident.

Nevertheless, it is heartening to note the Minister received an award last week. As for the 242 fatalities, that constitutes 242 different families, 242 different communities and still is 242 too many. Although I do not believe we ever will get to a place or time where we have zero fatalities, hopefully we will get as close to that as is humanly possible. I certainly am heartened when I contrast the position in the early 1970s with 640 deaths to the present position. I congratulate the Minister on this legislation. Across all his briefs, he has been very idealistic and always has brought idealism and zeal to them. Sometimes, that has got him into trouble in respect of different factors but although he has been in Leinster House for a long time, he retains an idealism and drive that together with many young people, I respect. He should keep up the good work and I commend him on this legislation. While he has been given some grief internally and externally in respect of the reduction of the blood alcohol concentration limit, I wish to see the day when it is set to zero.