Longford Leader Columnist Mattie Fox: Ross is the most out of touch minister

Shane Ross, must be the most out of touch minister in current government, given that he doesn’t realise, or doesn’t care, that in rural Ireland, learner drivers simply cannot afford to hire a driver to accompany them to work and back, nor can they use public transport, given that most live in rural areas where neighbours are sometimes miles away.

Public transport is a dream-like issue in rural Ireland, a dream that only encompasses good sized towns. Rather a posh aspiration. We are still a long way from that. Mr Ross was full of excitement announcing the changes and indeed may be correct in theory, but in practise nobody can seriously expect learner drivers, to be able to obey the law, since the alternative is to find lodgings somewhere closer to work.

How many in employment in rural areas can afford to take lodgings close to work? If they could find lodgings, what would they do all night? Go to the pub? What would that do to young people? None of us wants to suggest that anyone should break the law, but unlike Minister Ross, those of us who understand rural life, and living, are utterly perplexed as to how on earth he proposes to make this possible?

It baffles this writer anyway. Meanwhile the Gardaí seize vehicles. What a strange country this has become.