Michael Mullins (Fine Gael)

Perhaps it is an issue on which we could have a discussion with the Minister. It concerns the number of oil spillages on roads and leakages from trucks which can cause very serious accidents. Due to the difficult economic situation for hauliers, perhaps the same investment is not being made in maintaining the quality of vehicles. It is an issue about which we must be concerned given the volume of large vehicles on the roads. Anybody who has had an incident with an oil spillage will be aware of the catastrophic consequences. There is a need to keep the issue of road safety high on the agenda. This issue deserves attention. Local authorities would have good information on the number of times they have to clean up following oil spillages. We should not lose sight of the issue because of the potential catastrophic consequences for citizens.