Tom Shehan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ring, to the House. I have repeatedly raised this particular issue over the past three years, but perhaps now is an opportune time to have a proper debate. It is the question of whether the wearing of high-visibility jackets should be compulsory for cyclists and pedestrians, especially in rural areas and where there is no footpath or street lighting. The percentage of road fatalities that are made up of cyclists and pedestrians presents a frightening figure.We can get all the statistics and facts but I want to open up a debate on this. I have said to people that I was going to raise this issue and they said I would be accused of creating a nanny state but so be it if we create a nanny state if it is going to save lives. If the Minister of States checks the record, he will see that within three days of my raising this issue on the last occasion, two pedestrians were killed at night in my own county. I will keep raising this issue until something is done.

There are no footpaths or lit-up areas in rural areas, in particular. The term used is "vulnerable road users", and these are said to be pedestrians and cyclists. I do not agree with that. I believe the most vulnerable person on the road at present is the motorist. The motorist must deal with the rules of the road and needs to have everything right with the car, have it taxed and insured and have seat-belts, airbags and everything else. Drivers are going about their business and yet people will not adhere to the simple requirement that they would wear a high-visibility jacket, in particular on dark evenings in winter. This is why something more strenuous has to be put in place.

To give a piece of anecdotal evidence, two years ago I met a neighbour of mine who had a grá for the drink and who has sadly passed away. It was before Christmas and I said to him: "Don't let me see you back in the village without a high-visibility jacket on you". He said he would not but when I met him four or five nights later, he had no high-visibility jacket on him. When I said I would drop one over to his house in the morning, he replied: "Don't bother. I have three of them at home."

In fairness, the Road Safety Authority, FBD Insurance and the IFA and other farming bodies are constantly giving out high-visibility jackets and there is a great programme whereby the high-visibility jackets are made available to schoolchildren. That is all well and good. However, we have to insist on this. There is no point having people act like the man I have just mentioned, who had three of these jackets at home but was walking back from the village in the pitch dark. There is no good having high-visibility jackets at home if pedestrians and cyclists are not wearing them.

I will wait for the Minister of State's reply. I intend to keep raising this issue because I believe it will save lives.