Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The sub-committee should report back to the Houses of the Oireachtas on the steps that are being taken to resolve this issue.

There has been some discussion about rural pubs this morning. I would like to call on the people of Ireland to develop a community co-operative system to help people who live in isolated rural areas to get to the pub. Perhaps their neighbours could get involved in a system of rotation similar to that used in the designated driver scheme, whereby a person will stay off the drink in order to be able to drive others home from the pub at the end of a night out. Why can this not be extended to facilitate those who would like to do something for their communities by bringing people to and from the pub? Why do the drinks companies not engage in some sort of promotion to encourage the citizens of this country to keep an eye on their neighbours in this way? When Senator McAleese's wife was President of Ireland, a scheme was organised to facilitate people who were willing to bring their older neighbours to matches. We should establish a similar system to encourage neighbours to bring older people to the pub and thereby give them the social outlet they so desperately crave.

I will conclude by speaking about the driving licence system. My understanding is that scanners throughout the country are not working. I understand that the scanner in the main tax office in Ennis is not working today. The system is not working. I am afraid we will have a repeat of the SUSI scenario.