I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Canney, to the Chamber. Before we proceed with the statements, I welcome those in the Public Gallery who are looking down at us today. I particularly welcome Councillor Mick Delaney from Tullaroan. Joining him are active retirement groups from Kilkenny and Laois. You are all very welcome. I hope you enjoy your day with Councillor Delaney here at Leinster House. The group members had a lot of questions for me on the statements we are about to make. I was questioned sensibly on it and the need to have the cameras spread all over the country. They have a point of view as well, which they got across. I now call on the Minister of State to make his opening statement.
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I thank the Deputy. I understand Deputy Ahern is sharing time.
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The students from Wexford are very welcome.
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I want to immediately draw the Minister of State's attention to some of the issues that are faced in my constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny. I feel that is the most effective way of contributing to this debate. Earlier, I had the privilege of welcoming a group from Tullaroan with Councillor Michael Delaney. Councillor Delaney and that group discussed in great detail the matter that we are now discussing. They brought to my attention a number of concerns that they had. They wondered, and rightly so, if the technology was there to identify the registration plate on a vehicle, why could it not be used to cross over and check the insurance, tax and so forth. Where stands that in relation to legislation or implementation? People who live along stretches of road where they experience the speed and the dangers of speed, and sometimes the accidents that occur out of that, would like to see something done. They cannot understand why there is such an inordinate delay in dealing with all of this. Static cameras were mentioned by Deputy Lawlor in relation to Glenmore and the N24. It is a fact that the cameras work, but signage is necessary as you come into that stretch of road. I ask that there be some crossover with the councils or TII to ensure that there is sufficient notification on the road to indicate the speed, request a reduction in that speed and say that the cameras are there. The same could be said for the road into Dublin from Kilkenny. These signs are hugely important and contribute to the type of driver behaviour that we want to achieve, which is to act within the limits, drive responsibly and acknowledge the law. Glenmore is a particularly busy road. Work is to be done on that road. The signage, which the Minister of State might come back to me on, is essential. When the former Deputy Shane Ross was a Minister, he came to visit Kilkenny. He looked at the road from Kilkenny city - the Waterford Road - out to the roundabout, particularly at Danesfort. I have lobbied the council, TII and the current Minister to take action on that stretch of road, which has seen a number of fatalities. Danesfort GAA Club is hugely actively there and a real anchor in the community. It is a very busy junction, but in spite of all of that, they refer to figures and analysis that simply do not give any indication of what is really happening on the ground and the real fears that people - residents and road users - in the area have. Likewise, it is the same thing in relation to the R704, the Mullinavat road to New Ross. The local residents have complained over a long period about the 2.4 km of road that is dangerous and requires signage, work and prevention in terms of the speed that vehicles are travelling. Sean Maher, a local activist, wrote to me about this - not to just complain, but to suggest ways by which this could be dealt with. Again, the local authority has been lobbied for immediate action. That has not happened. It has to go through a long, convoluted process to get to the point where an acknowledgement is given of the dangers that exist and then the work is required thereafter. If the Minister of State could shorten the process and give due consideration to local people and their complaints, it would help greatly in our work to assist the Minister of State to ensure that there is greater safety on our roads.
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