Journalists had to speed to keep up with the Taoiseach as he raced from one appointment to the next yesterday, writes Tim O'Brien
The fast-moving Taoiseach might think he only breaks speed limits when on foot, but there was evidence to the contrary during his dash around the south-east yesterday. Mr Ahern's election cavalcade hit speeds of up to 95 m.p.h. yesterday as it dashed through the south-east five years after he launched the Republic's road safety strategy.
The speed of the campaign cavalcade has been criticised by the National Safety Council chairman Mr Eddie Shaw, who described such speeds as unacceptable. Mr Ahern, whose cavalcade reached speeds of 85 m.p.h. on Wednesday, arrived slightly behind schedule at 10.40 a.m. in New Ross, Co Wexford, yesterday. After a quick visit to the auctioneering business of the son of local Fianna Fáil junior Minister, Mr Hugh Byrne, and a quick huddle with reporters to discuss the overnight headlines, Mr Ahern's cavalcade was, unusually, behind schedule when it left for Wexford. Taking the N25 single carriageway road from New Ross to Wexford, the convoy of eight cars, some emblazoned with Fianna Fáil flags and posters, at times hit 75 m.p.h. in a 40 m.p.h. zone, and passed a junction at 80 m.p.h., as well as reaching a top speed of 95 m.p.h.
The Taoiseach's convoy was ushered out of New Ross by gardaí at about 12.26 p.m. It speeded up to 80 m.p.h. by the time it was passing signs for Ballynaboola, about six miles from New Ross. The cavalcade arrived in Wexford at 12:43 p.m. and accomplished the 22-mile journey in an almost incredible 17 minutes. The road safety strategy, which largely focused on speed and drink driving, was never fully implemented. It was to have reduced deaths and serious injury on the roads by 20 per cent, over 1997 levels, by the end of this year.
Asked in Wexford town if he was concerned about the speed his cavalcade travels at, the Taoiseach smiled and said: "Only walking. The only speed limit we break is when we are walking."
When it was suggested that the journey from New Ross had broken the speed limit almost constantly the Taoiseach replied: "Ah no. We were going slow today. When we are in the car we try to keep to the speed limit. When we are walking we break it."
Having exhorted the party faithful to achieve a third Fianna Fáil seat in Wexford he insisted little funding was spent in the constituency when it was represented by the then ministers Mr Ivan Yeates and Mr Brendan Howlin.
Mr Ahern's convoy sped off to Enniscorthy - at speeds which frequently touched 70 m.p.h. and reached 80 m.p.h. on a straight stretch of road alongside the Slaney, a few miles south of Enniscorthy.
Essential planks of the Irish strategy, such as random sample breath-testing and State-wide deployment of speed traps were never implemented as the gardaí and other agencies were never given adequate funding.
The number of people killed on roads in Co Wexford in the last four years was 66.
Yesterday Mr Shaw, chairman of the National Safety Council, said: "I don't think it acceptable to do those kind of speeds outside of the emergency services.
"I don't think it is right. It possibly shows the time constraints Mr Ahern is under in meeting so many appointments.
"If the reports of the speed of the Taoiseach's cavalcade are true then I don't think it is acceptable at all," he concluded.