Niall Ó Brolcháin (Green Party)

I welcome the Minister and commend him on this initiative and the initiatives he brought before us previously. In a radio interview after he had announced his intention to retire, the Minister was asked what his legacy would be. He said a considerable number of people were alive as a result of legislation he had helped to bring through the Houses. That is an extremely important legacy and being able to say it is something of which he can rightly feel very proud.

No one seems to disagree with the Bill. It is great to take part in a debate in which there is no disagreement on either side of the House.

I listened carefully to Senator Quinn's contribution and having had the experience of driving elsewhere in Europe, the Minister might take notice of what he was saying about the use of the red triangle and the high visibility vest. However, we should probably stop short of requiring the use of cold weather tyres which I hope is not necessary here yet, but with climate change, one never knows. Whether it is in amendments to this or another Bill, any measure that will improve safety is crucial.

I have often been out during the evening - as one tends to be in politics - and people might say there is no issue with having one drink. However, it is important that public representatives practice what they preach and I encourage the Minister to do likewise. If one is driving home, the safe level of alcohol is zero. I am not remotely interested in narcotic drugs, but there are many who are and their use is prevalent in our society. Aside from the fact that they are illegal, the safe level of drugs is zero. Given that it is a privilege to drive a car, not a right, anyone who causes a serious traffic accident because he or she has taken various substances or been irresponsible in any way should never drive again. A person being killed in an accident is not a risk worth taking just to allow someone to get around quickly and be cavalier about it. The attitude to road safety is far too casual.

As a Green Party member, I obviously advocate that trains are safer than cars. It is important to put this issue at the top of the agenda. A single road death in a year is unacceptable; the levels in the past were outrageous. One of the primary reasons the roads are considerably safer is the building of motorways, for which I give credit to Fianna Fáil. Motorways are safer than winding roads with narrow bends.

The vehicle roadworthiness tests introduced in recent years represent a very important addition in terms of road safety. No one likes the idea of having speed limits, but the reality is that having them makes driving safer. The law on speeding is the one that is most frequently broken and the limits are not enforced to any great extent. In Galway we have had debates on the issue that speed limits should be appropriate to the road. They are often not taken seriously, particularly on a dual carriageway with a speed limit of 50 km/h and when just up the road there is a boreen with a speed limit of 80 km/h or, in the recent past, 100 km/h, which makes absolutely no sense. The Bill is a good one.