93 Mr. Hughes asked the Minister for the Environment when EU Directive 91/226 will be transposed into Irish law in view of the fact that road spray from trucks has long been identified as a serious road safety issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23688/96]

EU Directive 91/226 does not contain any mandatory provisions which would require to be incorporated in road traffic regulations. The directive sets out technical requirements which a spray suppression system must meet to obtain EU type approval certification.

The Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) Regulations require that, subject to certain exemptions, every vehicle and every trailer attached to a vehicle be equipped with wings or other similar other devices to catch, so far as practicable, mud or water thrown up by the rotation of the wheels or, in the case of a trailer, the rear wheels, unless adequate protection is afforded by the body of the vehicle. I have no proposals at present to amend these regulations to require the fitment of a spray suppression system which meets the requirements of EU Directive 91/226.