Jimmy Harte (Labour)

I welcome the formation of the group of seven Independents. Perhaps we could have a seven-a-side match at some stage because there are some fit men on this side of the field and we would need to match them.

We are coming into the tourist season and I would like to relate an experience I had last week coming from Belfast after collecting my son from college. There are signs on the M1 pointing towards Dublin - one would think. As I continued along the road, the next thing I saw a sign for Omagh 22 miles away at which point I realised I had gone off the Dublin M1 road. There are actually two M1 roads. There is a northern M1 and a southern M1. I thought I was on the proper road, but I was not and it added an hour to my journey. Anyone coming to Belfast who wants to drive to the South will automatically stay on the M1, which ends up in Enniskillen. We should bring the matter to the attention of the Minister. It may be that those on either side of the Border would not want to give up that term, M1. The title of the other M1 should be changed to the M3, for example, so the route from Belfast to Dublin would have just one name.

When I related this to tourists, they said to me that when they leave Dublin Airport and see signs for the N7, N4 or N2, they automatically believe the "N" refers to "north". Tourists who do not know the geography of the country presume they are going north when they go onto those roads. In other countries, signage is different. France, for example, uses the term "RN", meaning route nationale, and thus has roads with titles such as RN 21. We should consider our signage on roads throughout the country. If one assumes "N" means "north" and that one is going north all the time, one could end up in Donegal rather than Mayo, which would be no harm. This can and does happen regularly. Perhaps the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport will consider the signage on the Belfast-Dublin road such that there will be no confusion owing to there being a different name on each side of the Border. I got confused because of the problem. The person to whom I told this ended up in Dungannon. When he asked for directions to Dublin at a petrol station in Dungannon, the staff there said he was the fourth person that day looking for directions to Dublin. I ask the Leader to bring this to the attention of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport.