Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The point I wanted to make, although I am continuously roared at, is that there is an issue in this city and country with cyclists not using cycle lanes or abiding by the rules of the road. I would like to see a debate on this. Overall, cycling is very positive. It is good to see people out cycling because it is good for their health, mental well-being and the environment. However, when cyclists are blatantly abusing the roads and not co-operating with the traffic systems and structures in place, we have a problem. I use taxis quite a bit in Dublin. Taxi drivers will say that their biggest challenge in terms of road safety is trying to navigate around cyclists. In my parish in County Clare, we have an excellent cycle lane. It was the Labour Party's Deputy Alan Kelly who provided the funding for it when he was in government. It cost €500,000 at the time. Unfortunately, however, more often than not one will see people cycling on the road and not using the cycle lane. I would like a debate on cycling to be arranged with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. In addition, the transport committee might examine new protocols and arrangements for dealing with cyclists.