Denis Landy (Labour)

Having listened to Senator Walsh's earlier contribution on the state of the economy and the possibility it may be returning to recession, I refer to the most recent proposals from the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar, on speeding, driving in general and changing the penalty points system. However, I draw the Leader's attention to one specific issue on which he should contact the Minister, namely, learner drivers who must, by virtue of their employment, drive to work unaccompanied. Last weekend, I met one such person, who is a second-year apprentice electrician, who may be obliged to drive to work to Cork on one day, possibly to Limerick on the next day and perhaps to Kilkenny on another day. He told me clearly that the only way in which he could avoid breaking the law was to ask his father to get out of bed at 6 a.m. to sit with him in the car on the drive to Cork. His father would then be obliged to sit in the car all day and then accompany him home from work. This is a time when efforts are being made to get the economy back on its feet and when young people are getting back into employment. While they are trying to do it for themselves, by so doing they are breaking the law because they cannot get to work. I ask the Leader to bring this matter to the Minister's attention. There must be some provision in law whereby a person travelling to and from work is allowed to do so by virtue of a letter from his or her employer to state that within certain specified hours, the person in question is travelling to or from work. This is a very important issue for young, responsible drivers who do not go out at night to speed or to get into their cars having taken drink, but who need to be in their cars at 6 a.m. to get to their place of work to get on in life and to enable the country to recover. I ask the Leader to bring this matter to the Minister's attention and to ascertain whether legislative provision may be made to deal with this matter. I understand this has been done in other countries and could be done here, if so desired.