We also had submissions from the Dodder Residents' Association pointing out the acute environmental problem they are already suffering in having juggernaut lorries going through their residential area. They spoke on behalf of the Southern Cross group representing 36 residents' associations who at the moment feel there is an intolerable situation as far as they are concerned because of this very heavy traffic through these residential areas, sometimes late at night or in the early hours of the morning.
At the end of the report under the heading " Views of the Joint Committee ", I drew the attention of the members of the Committee to the fact that we took a rather strong line; I did not want the Committee taken by surprise on it. In those circumstances there was a suggestion that we might put off consideration of this report until today when there would be more members of the Committee present. That paragraph states :
The Joint Committee is fully convinced of the need to keep transport costs as low as possible particularly in view of the rising cost of energy. It believes that Ireland has a particular and vital interest in furthering this objective in view of the large proportion of our trade with the rest of the Community that is carried on roll-on/roll-off services. The object of the draft Directive, which is to permit the carrying capacity of vehicles to be increased, is in line with this objective. However, until such time as the necessary improvements to our inadequate road system are implemented the Committee cannot see how Ireland can support a proposal to permit even heavier goods vehicles from other Member States using our roads and adding to the environmental problems already being caused by this type of traffic.
Senator Conroy expressed a rather strong view on the last occasion. The paragraph as drafted might be going a little far in providing that under no circumstances could there be any support for a Community proposal until these environmental problems are brought under control. I have prepared an amendment which highlights the problem but does not do so in quite the same terms. In the circumstances, could that amendment be circulated to members? The amendment reads:
" On page 5 to delete the last sentence in paragraph 12 and substitute the following:—
‘ However, the main difficulty for Ireland arises from the inadequacy of the road system in this country and it must be recognised that to permit even heavier goods vehicles from other Member States to use our roads will add to the environment problems already being caused by this type of traffic.'"
What we are concerned about here is a draft Council directive to allow heavier and therefore more substantial juggernaut vehicles to come on to Irish roads. The real problem arises from our own infra-structural problems. We do not have the link roads. For example, we do not have the Southern Cross link road to carry this traffic away from residential areas so it is going straight through residential areas; it is causing great damage to roads in residential areas and extreme environmental hazards to the families there. People cannot cross the road; they cannot speak outside their front doors; there is noise and atmospheric pollution. The Committee should draw attention to this. I am prepared to submit a modified version which still highlights the problem but does not do it in terms of the fact that we could not support a proposal for heavier goods vehicles. In my view it achieves more or less the same objective but with language that might be more acceptable to members of the Committee.