asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if his attention has been drawn recently to the appalling number of motor accidents, and if he will state what is the cause of the delay in installing automatic signals on the streets of Dublin similar to those in use in all the principal cities and towns in Europe and elsewhere; if he will also state the date when the by-law was submitted to his Department by the Commissioner of the Gárda Síochána in accordance with Section 8 of the Road Traffic Act, 1933.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Automatic Signals.
I have seen the statistics recently issued by the Commissioner of the Gárda Síochána. Arrangements have been made by the Dublin Corporation to erect automatic signals at one of the city road junctions as soon as the by-laws under the Road Traffic Act have come into force. A draft of the by-laws was submitted to me by the Commissioner of the Gárda Síochána on the 7th January last. The Commissioner was informed on the 16th January that I considered the draft satisfactory, subject to certain minor amendments. These amendments have been carried out and the by-laws are now being printed.
Arising out of the Minister's reply, is this the first by-law that has reached him in connection with this matter from the Commissioner of the Gárda Síochána?
Quite a number of by-laws have reached me; whether this was the first, or what order they came in, I am not in a position to say.
The Act was passed in 1933 and, according to the Minister, no action has been taken since in regard to this matter. Apparently the draft by-laws only reached the Minister from the Commissioner on the 7th January. It took four years to get those by-laws and to get the first automatic signal. How long is it going to take to get the rest? It will not be in the lifetime of this generation, I think.