27 August 2002: Speculation in Dublin political circles suggests that Donegal TD Dr Jim McDaid is canvassing hard to be given a ministerial portfolio for road safety.

But the word is that new minister for transport Seamus Brennan will not easily hand over road safety responsibility in his own, newly focussed, ministry, even if it does seem to be something of a poisoned chalice in the light of yesterday’s news about the Government's High Level Group on Road Safety report on the failure so far of the road safety campaign to significantly reduce deaths.

Brennan has already shown himself to want to take direct control of all transport matters, and has committed himself to implementing sooner rather than later a number of necessary changes in the safety enforcement area, including the establishment of a dedicated traffic corps and the introduction of penalty points.

Fresh from his staggering victory as the mastermind behind Fianna Fail’s electoral success, the transport minister has a strong hand in the holiday time hustling before the real work starts next week. McDaid, on the other hand, has an unfortunate record in his previous portfolios of defence, and tourism and sport. His ‘selfish bastards’ remarks in relation to those who commit suicide requires more time to be forgotten and forgiven.

Even if the safety portfolio was given a junior ministership within his own department, it is unlikely that Brennan would let such a sensitive matter go to anybody with a propensity to hoisting themselves on their own words. Though there is no doubt that the term ‘selfish bastards’ might aptly be applied in connection with the habits of some drivers.