Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

I hope the Leader will remember that we should not be adjourning the debate for votes in the Dáil. I hope the Leader will get his act together for tomorrow and for the rest of the debates of the week.

As I was saying before I was interrupted by the vote, it is important that we tackle the issue of rural isolation and transport. I pose the following question to the Government Members. Is there a commitment on behalf of Government to have a rural transport strategy? I hope the Minister replies to that.

The café bar licence debate we had a number of years ago was a lost opportunity. Recently, I happened to be in Barcelona where I was impressed, not only by the city itself but by the fact that people could gather, socialise and mingle in an al fresco type atmosphere and in a nice ambiance with no impression of alcohol. As I stated before the suspension, we have an issue with our attitude to alcohol and I would like to have a wider debate. I support President McAleese's assertion that we need a national discourse on that.

Many Senators spoke about the issue of speed limits. It is important we have a debate on this. Recently, there was a furore in Dublin about the 30 km/h enforcement, and other Senators spoke about the lack of uniformity and about who determines speed limits. We missed a glorious opportunity here in the case of speed limits and I hope Deputy Dempsey, as Minister for Transport, with the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, grasp this. I cannot comprehend how on the main Cork-Dublin motorway the speed limit is 120 km/h, or it branches into 100 km/h, and with the best will in the world there are gardaí with speed cameras on that road. I set my cruise control and away I go, and I do not break the speed limit.