Jerry Buttimer
Cork South-Central · Fine Gael · Ireland
“Its priority is to provide scheduled public transport services on the TFI network. It works with event organisers, operators, local authorities and An Garda Síochána to provide additional transport supports where it is possible to do so.”
“I commit to relaying the points the Senator has made on the floor of the House, and has conveyed to me in private, to the Department of Transport. To be fair to the Senator, it was not only this morning that he has articulated this. The travelling supporters of Kerry and Mayo deserve additional transport.”
“I understand from the company that the Expressway team is currently examining whether additional services on route 22 will be added on the morning of Sunday, 26 July.”
“In this case, for Kerry and Mayo, as the Senator rightly said, it will see a high demand for scheduled and additional services. The Senator has outlined the volume of tickets sales. This is the busiest time for scheduled intercity services anyway, given that it is peak summer time, and that is a priority.”
“I understand from speaking to Irish Rail that it hopes to be in a position to confirm the number of additional services later this week - I am hoping this will be today or tomorrow - and it will advise customers as soon as these services are available to book.”
“The Senator mentioned Sneem and Ventry. He and I will remember our great friends, the late, great John Egan and Paudie O'Shea, as well as the Senator's brother Tim. I get emotional because they were great GAA people. Cork and Kerry have the best supporters of the GAA.”
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“Under the Minister, Deputy Naughton, initiatives are now under way to address educational disadvantage to help children and young people realise their potential through education. I spent most of my life teaching the leaving certificate applied programme as an adult education director. This is about the power of being able to see the investment in education, upskilling, training and reskilling in order for people to meet life’s needs. That is why there is a €48 million investment in the new DEIS strategy and DEIS plus scheme. Are we seriously saying in this House that we should not have that? Of course we are not. These measures represent a significant investment by the Government in a ten-year plan to tackle educational disadvantage and promote equality across our education system.”
“We have our life experiences and that of our families, friends, neighbours and the people we meet at our clinics and offices every day. We know full well that people are faoi bhrú, under pressure, with the cost of living. That is why this debate is important. We may disagree about the rubrics of the scaffolding by which we all move forward but let us not lose the tenet that what we are doing on this side of the House – I am speaking as a Member of these Houses for 19 years – is representing our people. There is merit in many of the suggestions we have heard today and it is our job to forensically go through them in the context of the debate we are having. That is why this debate is important. I am a former teacher. Deputy Cummins discussed education.”
“Déanaim comhghairdeas le gach Ball as a gcuid óráidí ar an díospóireacht thábhachtach seo. I thank the Labour Party and Deputy Nash for bringing the motion before the House today. It is important, in the context of the debate we are having, to make three points. I know the Opposition has to play a certain role and I appreciate that. I have been a Member of the Houses of the Oireachtas for 19 years, have dealt with many of the Members here and I appreciate that. There is a commonality here because all of us are on the side of the people and the gnáthdhuine. We must accept that. Second, while I know it is a great line - the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach used it very well when she spoke to this motion - to say we are out of touch, aloof or immune or whatever, we are not.”
“We will be in the Estimates process seeking further support from the Department of Finance and the Department of public expenditure. I hope that will come because the Deputy is correct that it is the regular rural service and the demand-responsive element that have been critically successful. The proof of that is the number of passenger journeys.”
“The Deputy is right in that access is not just an option; it is important not just for employment but also for connectivity, going to hospital appointments, going to medical services and even going to the local village. That is why we review local transport provision under the programme for Government commitment. The Minister and I are very much committed to ensuring we see an uplift again in the provision of transport links. This is critical. The TFI Local Link rural transport programme has worked right across the country, east, west, north and south. I join the Deputy in congratulating and thanking those who administer and run the programme. What we are committed to doing through the programme is connecting the missing pieces. It will take time.”
“In the interests of providing citizens with a high-class service, my focus as Minister of State with responsibility for rural transport is to stabilise the PSO position, ensure we have resilience and the routes we have now are functioning, reliable and sustainable, and progress improvements that were already under way. With the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and the other Minister of State in the Department, Deputy Canney, we will work with everybody to ensure new routes are provided and accessibility and connectivity are enhanced. I will engage with the Deputy further on the matter. I thank him for raising it.”
“Passenger numbers are also increasing. The timetabled services in Offaly and Laois saw a 52% increase from 2024 to 2025. Our public transport system is at an important juncture. To be fair to him, the Deputy has been advocating for it. We are experiencing growing passenger numbers and increasing demand. There is also the challenge, about which we have heard this morning, in parts of Dublin and Cork concerning congestion and getting enhanced and more frequent bus services to allow people to travel to and from work more easily.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. Rural transport is an important point. In the context of the budget, the Minister and I are aware of the role that enhanced connectivity plays in supporting communities in Offaly. I commend the Deputy on the work he does in that regard. In the budget for this year, the Department of Transport secured €940 million of funding for PSO and TFI Local Link services, providing a significant 43% uplift from last year. This package includes a dedicated €31 million for rural transport service provision, representing a 38% increase on last year’s funding. As the Deputy knows, people will use the service if they get it. Offaly and Laois have been well served and seen significant investment in rural transport in recent years, with funding increasing by 36% between 2024 and 2025 to over €5.5 million.”
“I think there was one fixed-charge notice fine this year. The range of fines has gone from €80 to €250. Around 20% of the fleet comprises wheelchair accessible vehicles; I think it is about 4,836. It is an important matter and deserves the attention the Deputy gives it. If a person has a complaint, they should log it so that we can follow through. We must make it easier and we are providing training and that accessibility peice for the taxi driver. I take the Deputy's point on board. We are on a journey and must continue that journey. It is because of people like the Deputy that we are seeing that mindset being changed. I commend him on his work.”
“I concur with the Deputy that that should not be the experience of people. The NTA has been working to make it easier for taxi drivers nationally and locally to increase the numbers available to passengers. The last year for which statistics are available is 2025. The NTA received 1,815 complaints regarding SPSVs compared to 1,713 in 2014. Complaints related to the condition of the vehicle, driver behaviour, hiring matters, as the Deputy articulated, and fare matters. The majority of complaints, 976, were fare matters, while driver behaviour accounted for 368 and 396 were hiring matters. I will come back to the Deputy on fixed-charge notices. My information is that four were given, which might seem small in the overall scheme but the percentage of complaints is quite low, given the number of taxis we have and journeys undertaken.”
“Operators can undertake the training as often as required, free of charge, to ensure that they are confident to provide such services to a high standard for passengers. There will be no ambiguity from us. The passenger experience must be to a high standard. There can be no obfuscation. I encourage wheelchair users to log their complaints.”
“Any person who receives a WAV grant from the NTA must complete mandatory disability awareness training. It is a condition of receipt of any portion of the grant that the proposed driver of the WAV must either undertake the free half-day SPSV-specific disability awareness training provided by the NTA or provide evidence that they have completed a SPSV-specific disability awareness training course during the three years prior to the application date for a WAV grant. Not all WAVs are grant aided. In 2024, 346 non-grant-aided WAV taxi and hackney licences were added to the SPSV fleet, alongside WAV grants given to 372 new SPSV licenceholders. To support all licenceholders and not just grant recipients in providing WAV services, the NTA extended free training to all SPSV licenceholders at the start of last year.”
“I thank the Deputy for his ongoing advocacy on behalf of people with disabilities and his good work with Ciarán Delaney, whom we both engage with. If there are complaints, I encourage the Deputy to ask the people affected to log them and we will take it up. It is important we have that data. The regulation of the small public service vehicle, SPSV, sector, including the compliance, enforcement and administration of the wheelchair accessible vehicle grant scheme, is a matter for the independent transport regulator, the NTA, under the provisions of the consolidated Taxi Regulation Act. The Minister and I have no role in the matter. The Department has been informed that, in relation to Dublin, the NTA has received 13 WAV-related complaints in the last 12 months, with 11 received in the previous 12-month period.”
“I will certainly bring the fundamental point the Deputy makes back to Iarnród Éireann and to the Department. She is right though; it is about looking at how we can create that sustainable piece. What we are trying to do is to build reliance into our rail services. Part of our discussion, not just now but in the future, is about the points the Deputy has made here this morning.”
“The Deputy makes an interesting point. On the other, broader point, digressing from her subject matter of the question, from a geopolitical point of view, we need to look differently at rail provision. She mentioned Mullinavat. I could throw in the Midleton to Youghal line in Cork as an example. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle could have a couple in Kilkenny as well. We have to look at the whole thing differently now given what is happening in the world around the uncertainty in the Middle East and then moving away from fossil fuel dependency. The Department and the Government are committed to progressing the modal shift from cars and to buses, to Bus Connects, to a national rail strategy around commuter rail and to the Luas and the metro in Dublin and Cork.”
“Stations are prioritised using a multi-criteria analysis that takes into account the capacity, current and projected demand, the number of potential spaces gained and lost and everything to do with planning and programme risk. From my own observations, Carlow would be well placed on the relevant list. I know the Leas-Chathaoirleach is also familiar with this matter. For the Department, this is about the modal shift, enhanced connectivity and getting people out of their cars onto public transport.”
“I am fully aware of the situation in Carlow. I am very familiar with the town. When you come off the motorway from Dublin, you can see cars parked along the road as you go into Carlow in an area where there could be a need for a park-and-ride facility. The Department and I are very much committed to having an overall strategy. We are looking at a change in focus. That is why we have BusConnects, why we will have the light rail system for Cork, and why we have the strategy whereby a modal shift is being further assisted and supported by Irish Rail with the Department of Transport in the context of park-and-ride facilities.”
“She has been very articulate about the need for both car parking spaces in Carlow and enhanced connectivity. Carlow is a growing town, as the Deputy said. There is expeditious growth east and west. I thank the Deputy for raising the matter and look forward to engaging with her further.”
“The Department of Transport has allocated significant funding to advance public transport projects, including park-and-ride facilities, through the national development plan sectoral investment plan, which was published in November. The NTA is now progressing a more detailed implementation plan within this overarching Exchequer funding envelope. The implementation plan, which will be published in the coming months, will provide details of projects to be progressed within the funding available over the period 2026 to 2030. This implementation plan, together with the report being prepared by Iarnród Éireann, will inform which park-and-ride sites are advanced in the medium term. I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of Muine Bheag. It is not her first time to do so.”
“By allowing drivers and passengers to complete part of their journey by car and part by public transport, park-and-ride sites have an important role to play in generating a mode shift towards public transport, cutting emissions and reducing congestion in our urban centres. To support this work, Iarnród Éireann is currently updating its national carpark strategy report to establish the capacity requirements for car parking, bus connectivity and active travel at all 147 train stations across the rail network. It is anticipated that the strategy will be complete and an updated report issued to the NTA for review later this year.”
“I assure the Deputy that all of us in the Department of Transport are committed to this. We want to see it happen. As I said, we have increased the PSO offering. It is now about making sure we continue to roll out BusConnects routes not just in Dublin but in the city of Cork as well. I hear the Deputy’s views.”
“We all share the commitment to enhance the public transport offering. It is not correct to say there is a lack of funding. In the budget, the Minister received an increase of 46% in the PSO allocation. What we are doing - I think the Deputy will support us in this, being a former Minister - is building resilience and sustainability in the transport system and network for the future. We are planning new routes in a way that is sustainable for the future and will avoid the need to have to go through supplementary measures every budget and cycle. As the Deputy knows, people want certainty, reliable information and on-time buses. We will engage further with the NTA to ensure that process of planning is in place so that we can deliver. The Deputy is right that this is transformative.”
“The Minister, Deputy O’Brien, the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, the Department and I share the Deputy’s commitment in this regard. I take the Deputy’s points on board. I do not have an exact date but I will bring his remarks back and engage with the officials in the Department.”
“The Deputy is correct; it is difficult to get across the city. The orbital routes are important. In fairness, the Deputy’s former colleague and former Minister, Eamon Ryan, introduced them. We have seen some being rolled out and we are doing more in that regard. The Department of Transport and I will engage with the NTA to ensure we get a date. There is ongoing engagement around the planning of all necessary works for the route about which the Deputy spoke. I will bring his feedback back to the officials. While I cannot provide a date this morning, I can say that the sectoral plan of the national development plan has allocated significant funding to the NTA to progress BusConnects routes in Dublin, Galway, Cork, Limerick and Waterford.”
“The Department is also providing funding to advance the core bus corridors elements of the BusConnects programme. Contracts have now been awarded for both the Liffey Valley to city centre and the Ballymun-Finglas to city centre schemes, with a view to both entering heavy construction this year. I look forward to working with the NTA and our Department to continue the roll-out of BusConnects in Dublin in the years ahead.”
“The National Transport Authority is progressing all necessary works required to facilitate the introduction of the O route, which will provide an inner orbital operating on the North Circular Road and South Circular Road. The €940 million in public service obligation funding provided in budget 2026 allows the NTA to operate the bus network on a sustainable basis and to prioritise changes in line with operational capacity and passenger needs. The focus this year is on consolidating and strengthening the current network, while progressing improvements already under way. Unfortunately, it is not possible this morning to confirm an exact date for implementation of the O route. I am assured, however, that the S2 route from Heuston Station to Irishtown, which entered service in 2023, serves a part of the O route currently.”
“I join with the Leas-Cheann Comhairle in welcoming the students from Edmund Rice College, Carrigaline, who are here today as well. I wish them a very pleasant visit to Leinster House. I thank Deputy O'Gorman for the question. BusConnects Dublin is a transformative programme of investment to provide better bus services to more people across the capital. The Department of Transport is providing significant funding to support the roll-out of new bus infrastructure, fleet and services. We have already rolled out the first seven phases of the BusConnects Dublin network redesign so far, with the most recent one being the F spine serving Finglas to Tallaght in October 2025.”
“It will enhance frequency, enhance connectivity and enhance the passenger experience for the commuters who are asking for more buses that are on time and that are frequent.”
“I listen. I am a public representative and I represent people. It is important to recognise that the new L64 network will run between Dunboyne and the Blanchardstown centre. The new peak-time route, the P64, will run between Dunboyne and the city centre and both will serve Littlepace. Both services will also lead to Dunboyne. Equally, detailed timetables will be issued and will be set near the time of implementation so that we can take account of the comments the Deputy has made here this morning. There has been engagement with residents. Concerns have been raised not just by the Deputy but also by other local representatives in the area and changes have been made. I look forward to further engagement by the NTA. In the interests of fairness, BusConnects is a good news story.”
“The fundamental point is BusConnects offers greater connectivity, higher frequency, better connection and a more direct route to the city. We can disagree on some things but I genuinely take the Deputy's point that if BusConnects is to succeed there must be meaningful engagement with residents and people in areas that are affected. The point she made there is right. I have it in my city, as I said. It is important planners engage and listen. The overall point is this is a good news story for people, in that there is an enhanced offering of bus services.”
“I think the Deputy is incorrect regarding the buses because there are many buses and the new ones will have more than one wheelchair access point. The other point is we have almost 5,500 people working in Blanchardstown Shopping Centre, which is a massive number.”
“Opportunities will exist for transfers to very frequent bus services on the B spine to and from Dublin city centre. Connections with Dunboyne rail station, for rail services to and from Dublin city centre, will also be available. I would also like to highlight the benefits of these new services in the Littlepace area. These will include the introduction of significantly better all-day frequencies, not just during peak commuting hours, and better network connectivity options with the 90-minute Leap fare. On bus users with mobility issues, I note that all buses are fully low floor wheelchair-accessible and bus stops at the L64 transfer point will also be fully accessible. I assure Deputy Coppinger the distances between bus stops will be kept to a minimum where interchange is required.”
“I thank Deputy Coppinger for raising the matter. In the overall context BusConnects is important. She makes a point about the listening piece. I know from my constituency in Cork there is an obligation and a real need to listen and engage. I will bring the Deputy's comments back as well. As she has said, the 70 bus will be replaced by other bus services as part of the implementation of BusConnects Dublin. These new services will include the L64, which will provide a frequent service between Dunboyne, Clonee and Blanchardstown, and the P64 which will provide a direct bus service to Dublin city centre for commuters. Since the start of BusConnects, a core objective has been to provide a network of more frequent bus services with reduced wait times for all passengers. This sometimes requires transfer between frequent services.”
“That is why the Minister and the Department have been proactive and the Department has been engaging with Indra. At the end of the day, notwithstanding that it is behind time, which we are unhappy about, I think we will have a project that is fit for purpose, will be a flagship and will serve us well in time.”
“We share the Deputy's concern. The Minister has met Indra twice and it now has an office in Dublin. The Deputy is not correct about the buses he refers to. They will be used. Two per week are being unveiled as we speak. All I can say to the Deputy, and I think he will agree, is that there is an extensive safety process that must be gone through. With safety approval stages, you cannot just tick a box and hope it goes away and that you get away with it. That is why the software package must be proper and robust and must stand up to testing and have a quality mark. The Minister has been actively engaged with Indra. The Deputy is right in one regard, in that Indra has to step up to the plate as well. It is the operator. It is the genius, if you like. We can only do so much. I concur with the Deputy on that.”
“It is taking longer to deliver, but it is still a flagship and it will still be this model that will ultimately deliver for all of us. We have seen, if the Deputy looks at the depth of the questions on rail, that there is a growing use of rail. I assure the Deputy that there are no commercial agreements that will cost further, as of now, for the State. We will work with everyone to ensure that we deliver the matter on budget.”
“The Government has taken action. The Minister has been proactive and the Department has engaged. The payments under the contract are directly linked to the costs incurred by the contractor and are based on standard international engineering projects. The Deputy presents it as black and white. To be fair, it is not, and I respectfully challenge him. This is a complex matter and it takes time. It is going slower than we would like and we recognise that, but we must get it right and we must be prudent in the management of the project to be delivered. I take the point that it will make a great headline on the news tomorrow that we are running behind time and it is costing X amount, but the costs are incurred by the contractor. We are determined on the Government side, on behalf of all of us, to ensure that the project is delivered.”
“I understand that Iarnród Éireann has been actively engaging with Indra and testing software ahead of a major release in July, with commissioning phase 1 covering the Rosslare line targeted to go live in 2027. The timeline for future commissioning phases will be informed by phase 1, and the Department and the Minister will continue to keep the project under close review with a view to bringing its benefits to railway users as soon as possible. It is important to note that traffic management is continuing to operate out of Connolly Station and there is no impact on railway safety as a result of delays in the introduction of the new system.”
“Bringing the centre into full operation has been delayed by slower-than-projected progress in developing and rolling out the new traffic management system, which is the software that integrates a range of complex railway systems, such as signalling and communications. As a result of these delays, the Minister met the NTA and the contractor responsible for the traffic management system, Indra Sistemas, last August and later on to express dissatisfaction with the rate of progress and emphasised the importance of project delivery. The Minister met them again in January at the opening of Indra Group's office in Dublin, which marked an important positive development for the project in terms of Indra's permanent presence in the Irish market and reiterated the importance of successfully progressing the project.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising the matter and acknowledge that this is an elongated process. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, has been engaged with the process on behalf of the Department and twice met the people involved. The Deputy can take it from our side that we are not happy with progress, and I will come back on that further in the supplementary. The national train control centre, NTCC, project aims to deliver a modern, safe and efficient rail traffic management system that can effectively meet the needs of a growing railway service in the coming decades. The NTCC building near Heuston was completed in November 2022, close to its initial target date and budget despite the significant disruption to the construction caused by Covid during its development.”
“It is a key priority with €3.5 million allocated to the project this year, but this is about more than connecting Cork and Limerick. In the short term, we cannot allow the people of Mourneabbey or Burnfort to continue to be afraid or to take a risk in crossing the road. I will sit with the Senator again. I will advocate for this to the Minister, National Transport Authority, TII and Cork County Council to ensure we prioritise it in the short term, because a short-term measure is needed. Anybody who does analysis of roads will recognise this road is critically important but also that it is very dangerous. I commend the Senator on raising it.”
“The point the Senator made is that in the short term we have to intervene. He is right and I concur with him in a personal capacity. The timeframe for the delivery of the new Cork-Limerick motorway is long and the timeline is perhaps uncertain. In that sense, we have to work with the residents who are facing real and urgent issues on the road. I thank the Senator for his advocacy. It is not the first time he has raised this matter with me. I commend Councillor Madden, who has been very proactive on this. He is right to articulate travel issues and the risks and the Senator is 100% correct that people take risks on the road. As a consequence, we have had accidents and loss of life. In the overarching scheme of things, Government is committed to the delivery of an upgrade of the N20.”
“For me as a Minister of State in the Department, it is about ensuring we work with the Senator and Councillor Madden. What we have outlined here are prime examples of where intervention can join those dots in the interim and improve the lived experience of the residents and local people who use this road daily. I assure the Senator of my ongoing support. I will take his remarks back to the Minister and TII. We must continue to ensure we have not just connectivity and sustainable transport choices but safe roads. There is huge concern along the N20 at the moment and it is in all of our interests that we do what the Senator has asked and put in place a suite of measures to improve that point.”
“It will go for Government approval under the infrastructure guidelines and then An Coimisiun Pleanála. However, in the timeframe the Senator speaks about, it is important we see TII and Cork County Council look at short-term measures. I believe there has been engagement between the two bodies on available budgets so we can improve active mobility in the region and I am told that work is ongoing. I am very conscious this is an important and a well-used road where there have been fatalities and near misses and accidents involving pedestrians and motorists. I highlight to the House that Cork County Council has been allocated just under €20 million from the NTA and TII to support over 70 active travel and greenway schemes this year.”
“This walking and cycling infrastructure will provide communities, including those of Blarney, Rathduff, Mourneabbey, Mallow, Buttevant, Charleville, Banoge, Croom and Patrickswell, with a safe and accessible means of sustainable travel. However, a transport hub for Mourneabbey has been proposed and is welcomed. Mobility hubs are where people can change mode and integrate with public transport via park-and-ride car and bike parking facilities. The Senator is right that is a bit of time away so there is a need for urgent action on the point he has made here. The N20-M20 road upgrade announced three years ago is at design and environmental evaluation phase. This is expected to conclude later this year with the submission of a business case to the Department of Transport.”
“The planning, design and construction of individual active travel projects is a matter for TII. It is important, as the Senator said, that we all work together to ensure we make this road safer. On that safe pedestrian and cycle infrastructure to enable local people to safely cross the N20 road, he is right there is no big settlement pattern like a village in the place he spoke about. I have been advised the population settlement of Mourneabbey has been included within the preferred route option for the N20-M20 road upgrade project. This road upgrade project includes provision for a shared use active travel facility that is expected to primarily run alongside the road. The route will be separated from the road via a substantive verge or barrier to provide a safe and segregated corridor for pedestrians and cyclists.”
“I wish to use this opportunity to highlight the important work that has been undertaken so we can develop, as the Senator said, safe pedestrian access and egress on the road as well as cycle infrastructure across the country and more specifically at this place in Cork. I confirm the Government's strong commitment to active travel. There will be €360 million a year until 2030 for a €1.8 billion investment between now and the end of the decade, which builds on over €1 billion invested since 2021. This means we have had almost 1,100 km of new walking and cycling infrastructure. That has been in many different guises, but in particular the safe routes to schools initiative. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, cannot be here and sends his apologies. He has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding for active travel.”
“I dtús báire, gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as ucht an ní iontaigh agus thábhachtaigh seo maidir leis an mbóthar M20 agus na bóithre máguaird a phlé sa Seanad. I thank him for raising the M20. He is right that the safety concerns are real. The volume of traffic has increased and there is a real fear on that road. I commend the Senator on working with Councillor Liam Madden on raising the matter here and being advocates for it. Councillor Madden met me at the Association of Irish Local Government, AILG, conference last week and spoke about it as well. The points the Senator makes are very important in the context of the advancement of the M20 motorway.”
“We must ensure, where possible, that anybody who has passed a practical driving test to Irish standards obtains an Irish licence. Again, however, this is not as straightforward as we think. I am happy to advocate and to continue to ensure, as we have done in the programme for Government, that we have that reciprocal arrangement such that road safety and keeping Irish roads safe are the priority for all of us. Linked to the campaign about bringing people home, we must be able to ensure that anyone who obtains an Irish licence has passed a practical roads driving test that is up to our standards. I will work with the Deputy. There is more that unites us than divides us.”
“I do not disagree with the roadmap; the question is how you get to the end of the road. What we cannot do - and if we were to do so, the Deputy would come in here and excoriate me - is compromise on road standards and safety. We must engage. That is the one thing we will do. I will take back to the RSA and the Department the need to go through the report and meet with the group. They are fine people. I know them. Larry McCarthy, the former president of the GAA, has been on to me and I have spoken to him about this. We have seen an increase in fatalities on our roads in recent years and we cannot relax standards in that regard. We must ensure that the driving licence regime is robust and can stand up. I do not think any of us want to relax standards, and the report is very clear on that.”