Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)

I raise the issue of the chariot racing, which is an unusual description, that took place on the main Mallow-Cork road recently and ask the Deputy Leader to bring it to the attention of the appropriate Minister. Chariot racing is a glorified name for it. What occurred was far from what went on in the glorious days of the Roman Empire. That was a popular sport, as portrayed in films like "Gladiator". I was concerned to hear somebody from Pavee Point make the case this morning that better facilities should be made available to Travellers for the sport that we know in west Cork as sulky racing. For those Members who do not know what happened, last Saturday morning between 11 a.m. and 12 o'clock, on one of the busiest roads in the country, the main Mallow to Cork road, which is also the main Limerick to Cork road, some people from the Traveller community, and this is admitted by Pavee Point, drove their horses and sulky cars or chariots, as someone called them - I would not call them chariots - up that main road against traffic causing mayhem. The gardaí were involved. I am not sure whether there was drink or drugs involved in this incident but to do that in the middle of the day is crazy, and there is no excuse for somebody from Pavee Point saying that better facilities should be provided. We have a sulky racing track in west Cork which is under-used. Lack of facilities is no excuse in this regard. What was done was madness and I want to condemn it in this Chamber.

Many people in the constituency I represent have those sulky cars and there are byroads, culs-de-sac and lanes on which they can exercise their horses. Cork County Council regularly closes roads to facilitate that type of racing to ensure there is no danger to the public. It was a lame duck excuse from the Pavee Point representative that better facilities should be provided for the Traveller community because this is a minority sport. It is a minority sport but it is not exclusive to the Traveller community, and what happened in Mallow should be condemned outright. I do not accept that there is a lack of facilities in the Cork County Council area for such activities. What happened was madness. I am amazed by it. It was like something one would see in the excerpts we get from Australia or America of unusual events that happen on motorways. What happened must be condemned at the highest level and I hope it will never happen again. It is beyond belief that someone was not killed or injured in that incident.