John Paul Phelan (Fine Gael)

In my area, a number of groups that provide rural transport have had their funding cut dramatically. They are unable to provide a service for people. We are discussing issues of social isolation. For many in rural Ireland, the postman is as much as they see in the day. If they go to their local pub for a drink once per week, it might be the extent of their social interaction.

I completely refute Senator Ó Brolcháin's argument that the Green Party is looking after rural Ireland. Rural Ireland is pretty much dead. Most pubs are closed, shops, post offices and creameries are gone and people's focal points for meeting one another are disappearing off the landscape, be it in County Kilkenny or elsewhere. When the Government introduces legislation such as this Bill, it indicates a serious lack of acceptance of this problem.

The reduction in the number of road deaths is to be welcomed and there has been a considerable change in people's attitudes, but Senator Ryan was right, in that the greatest killer on our roads, particularly substandard county roads, is speed. It is a question of existing laws not being implemented to a satisfactory degree. Making some of these points is not easy, as people in my family have been killed in road accidents. I am sure other Senators can say the same about their families or friends. The only way to have no deaths on the roads is to have nothing on the roads or if we close them. Some Green Party Members have flippantly proposed the notion that we are aiming for zero. Of course we are, but people are killed on the roads because they travel on the roads. Recently, I found a shocking statistic that 92% of all pedestrians killed between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. are intoxicated, yet I do not see the Minister or anyone else in the Government rushing to save those people's lives. I am not suggesting there is an easy solution, but many pedestrians and cyclists are killed on our roads and there does not seem to be the same level of interest.

I have spoken out in support of President McAleese's comments. I am not particularly a pub goer, but the pub is the centre of the community in a rural area like the one from which I come. I wish it was otherwise, but there is little by way of public buildings in rural areas other than the public house. Most family events and so on end up in the pub, which is bad. Senator Buttimer's statements on a cafe culture and so on were right, but the public house is the only place in many parts of rural Ireland where people can congregate. Sufficient cognisance is not taken of this reality by the Government. Certainly, sufficient effort is not made to provide alternative meeting places.

A number of times, Senator Mary White has spoken strongly on the issue of suicide. My colleague, Deputy Neville, published statistics today that showed a 24% increase in the number of suicides in 2009 on the previous year's level. Some 527 people committed suicide, up from 424 the previous year. For some reason and Senator Mary White might agree, the Government has not made a concerted effort to reduce the number of deaths and the trauma caused to families every year. I urge the Government to concentrate on this area.

In the context of road deaths, Senator Carroll was right to mention the impact of tiredness and driving under the influence of prescription or illegal drugs. Government media campaigns have highlighted these issues, but there has been no other effort by the Government or anyone else to tackle them.

The time of year during which most road accidents occur is the dead of winter. December is notorious, with the highest number of road accidents every year. A considered case has been proposed by others that this country might consider adopting European time so we would have an extra hour of daylight during the evening peak time when people are travelling home from work, as this would have a positive impact on the number of road accidents. I agree we should consider introducing European time as a means of protecting people travelling during rush hours, particularly in the evening.

I am not criticising the great deal of work the Minister has done on this matter, but too much lip-service is paid to what legislation will do when it is passed in this or the Lower House as opposed to what could be implemented on the ground were we to enforce the law as it stands. However, the law is not enforced satisfactorily.