03 November 2005
Dr. Henry: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I also welcome the Bill. All the points I wished to make have already been made. I support the point made that the commission must be answerable to public representatives. Bodies have been created that are independent of the Oireachtas and, as in the case of the National Roads Authority, eventually become answerable to no-one. Senator McDowell referred to the importance of looking at the health and safety legislation at the same time as looking at the worthwhile provisions in this Bill. We must be absolutely sure that these provisions dovetail and that there is no possibility of conflict between them.
The overcrowding on trains is a very serious problem, but it is taken for granted. I remember an accident on the DART years ago in Dalkey where it was the people standing on the train who were injured. It has also been the findings of investigations into other rail crashes that those who were standing are far more vulnerable. I believe it happened in Cherryville as well. I hope that we address this difficult issue which happens generally at the weekends, although frankly I have rarely been on a train to Cork that was not overcrowded. I share Senator MacSharry's disappointment that the western rail corridor will not be continued to Collooney. We still have a sort of partitionist attitude about that part of the country. It seems to get extraordinarily isolated in all the deals that are done for it. Transport between Sligo and Letterkenny is very difficult.
I would finally like to make a point about this legislation and accidents on the DART, Luas and so on. Accidents involving the Luas have nothing to do with the Luas, but with cars going through the lights. Enforcing the Road Traffic Acts regarding cars is needed to deal with these accidents. I have not once seen a Luas going through the lights, yet I repeatedly see cars going through the lights, particularly at places like Queen Street and at the end of Gardiner Street. I suggest that accidents on the new Luas lines to be introduced will be curtailed by the enforcement of the Road Traffic Acts and not by this legislation. Nonetheless, I do welcome the Bill and I hope it goes speedily through the House.
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