Feargal Quinn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

My attention has just been drawn to the fact the Construction Contracts Bill passed Committee Stage in the Dáil yesterday. The Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, said he hoped to bring it back to the Seanad after Report Stage. I urge the House to pass this Bill as quickly as possible. It was initiated in this House almost three years ago. It has now completed Committee Stage and must go through Report Stage in the next couple of weeks and I urge the Leader to find the time to get it through this House.

I also wish to offer condolences on the terrible tragedy in Waterford yesterday. Those three men were wearing life jackets but died from hypothermia in the water, which is very sad. We hear so often of fishermen dying, often because they were not wearing life jackets but in this case they were.

We all support the Bill being introduced in the Dáil by Deputy Dowds tomorrow, and I echo Senator Barrett's remarks about the idea of increasing tourism to such a large extent by ensuring we enjoy the right to walk, a right that is being denied in many cases.

Legislation has been enacted in France that will force foreign drivers who had broken the rules of the road to pay the fines in France. This will lead to a €15 million bonus for the French exchequer because so many people do not pay the fines. That is a problem in Ireland, with northern cars coming south and southern cars going north avoiding the payment of fines. We should look at this to ensure foreign drivers coming into this country are forced to pay the fines when they are penalised.