Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State is very welcome once again. He is quickly becoming one of the most regular attendees in this House. I thank him once again for gracing us with his presence.

On the programme for Government and recent announcements, I welcome the allocation of €713 million for regional and local roads. Coming from a rural part of the country, I know that investment in improving that infrastructure will have a massive impact on the safety of the people who reside in rural areas. I also welcome the Government's commitment to Vision Zero by 2050. In other words, eliminating all road deaths. We have to be ambitious. We have to set targets that some might see as unachievable in certain circumstances. You have to have something to aim for.

I am sure some of my colleagues mentioned it already, but safe routes to school constitute one of the most successful and popular schemes that has been introduced in recent years. I have spoken to the Minister of State about this in the past in the context of the scheme being closed to new applicants at a time when there is a massive need for new applicants. Many schools that would have potentially been eligible for that programme cannot apply for it. Off the top of my head, I can think of Trien National School and Lisacul National School in Roscommon, both of which are located adjacent to very busy national roads and both of which need a scheme like this to make it safer people to drop their children off on a daily basis.

When it comes to road safety and schemes relating to it, I would be remiss, on a day like today, not to mention the N61 in Roscommon. The N61, which runs from Athlone to Boyle, is a key route that connects communities across Roscommon and Westmeath. It has unfortunately been the site of many accidents. I want to highlight the risks involved and risk awareness that is necessary. I call on all of us here - drivers, cyclists like the Minister of State, pedestrians and the authorities - to work together to make the N61 safer for everybody. The reality is that this road is well known for its dangerous bends, for a narrow section and for the number of serious collisions that have taken place on it. Despite improvements in recent years, sections of the road remain high risk, especially during poor weather conditions or at night. Some parts, such as the stretch near Kiltoom, the Knockcroghery bend and the sections approaching Roscommon town, have been flagged as accident black spots. The key risks relating to this road are obviously similar to many of those my colleagues mentioned with regard to other roads. I refer, for example, to speeding, reckless driving, a lack of hard shoulders, safe overtaking spots and pedestrian and cycling safety schemes and driver fatigue and various distractions. That particular road lies at the end of a journey for many of those who utilise it.

Roscommon County Council has quite regularly looked for the reclassification of the N61 as a national primary route. That is what I would like to ask the Minister of State to be conscious of when he leaves the House tonight.Every accident or injury on the N61 is one too many. Let us not wait for another tragedy to take place. We all have a role to play in making the roads safer, whether through responsible driving, better infrastructure or stronger community awareness. Let us commit, as a House, to respect the roads, respect each other and prioritise safety above all else.

It would be a missed opportunity if I were to let today’s debate go without raising the following point. The local newspaper in Roscommon, the Roscommon Herald, has news in regard to road safety every week. Yesterday, a truck was caught driving through the little village of Clontuskert at 91 km/h, nearly twice the speed limit. This is a serious issue. Many of my former colleagues on Roscommon County Council regularly highlight it. I will speak to the Minister of State about it at a later stage and I would appreciate it if we could highlight the issue.