Michelle Mulherin (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am just wondering if Deputy Ross has got some copper-fastened commitment from an insurance company that we will see a reduction in our premiums, if this is introduced. Unless there is an incentive of reduced insurance costs, I do not see the reason for it. In fact, he is bearing down again on people in rural areas. We have speed limits in operation that do not match the condition of the roads. Some of the roads are in very poor condition. In areas where one could drive safely at a certain speed, we have reduced speed limits. We have speed limits of 100 km/h in places where people are going round a bad bend. This is the reality. We do not have public transport so what happens if someone is ultimately put off the road? This can happen without any dangerous driving where somebody is caught driving in excess of the speed limit.

One of the major commitments given by the Minister when we increased the penalty for drink driving was that he would look after rural transport so that people living in rural areas could get into their towns and villages. In a vast county such as County Mayo, we only have three schemes in place. I can tell Members that as somebody who goes around to these towns and villages and goes into pubs and meets the people, people are cheesed off and feel that rural Ireland is being shut down. I ask the Minister to come to this Chamber. I would like to ask him to come down to County Mayo to meet some of these people. He is doing a great impression of somebody living in an ivory tower. He would want to get in touch with the realities of the law abiding people, the people being caught on the road for these very minor misdemeanours. If speed involves something dangerous then there are other offences with which people can be charged, beside heaping it on again and again. I would like to see further examination of this proposal. I would like to see what good result we will get from it. Will we be persecuting people in rural Ireland?