Maria Byrne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to pay tribute to Grace and wish her all the very best. I was elected to be part of the agricultural panel as well. She has greatly contributed to the workings of this Chamber over the last three and a half years. I wish her all the best in Europe and I know that she will make a contribution there.

I wish to comment on cycling as this is National Bike Week. Last weekend, a velodrome was erected in Limerick and the event was attended by many families from across the region. People enjoyed the various activities and presentations. A nationwide safe cycling campaign has commenced. A number of families cycle to school because they feel it is one way to ensure their children are active and introduces them to outdoor life. Certainly, there are concerns about the way people park their cars and vehicles on the roadways. For example, cars throughout the country take up space on cycle lanes. Regulations must be brought in to police cycle lanes and areas for buses to pull in because public transport has an important part to play. People constantly park on bus lanes all over the country. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to discuss how he proposes to regulate cycle lanes to make them safe enough for people to use and thus enable families to cycle safely to and from work or school, or to whatever activity.