We debate many topics, from healthcare issues to fishing issues, in this House. It is always matters of policy that we are looking to change. An issue that has come up in west Cork in recent weeks - it arises issue annually - is the condition of our roads. This is a topic I often raise in this Chamber. I am going to focus on national and local roads. We are going to see an announcement of funding in the coming weeks from the Department and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, to local authorities for the maintenance of our roads. On local and regional roads, Cork County Council got an increase of over €18 million last year, which was welcome. However, the condition of the roads at present is absolutely diabolical. I am not exaggerating when I talk about the volume of representations I have received in my office about the condition the roads are in.

Since I became an elected politician in 2011, issues relating to condition and the proper maintenance of our roads have not been solved. We have given an extra €80 million to Cork County Council but we cannot keep the water off our roads. I am talking here about the policy relating to drainage and maintenance. This might sound basic and might be seen as an issue that should not be discussed in the House, but it is a waste of money and there is also a serious danger to the lives of the people who travel on our roads.

A driving instructor in Skibbereen in west Cork has spoken about young drivers failing their driving tests because of the dangers on our roads. We must change the policy. We provide funding for the maintenance of roads, but we do not give discretionary funding for drainage to area offices. We give a little, but it is not enough. We must change the policy. I would welcome a debate with the Minister for Transport, Deputy O'Brien, in this House on the basic issue of road drainage and maintenance. The dogs in the street in west Cork know what needs to happen, but we need to change the policy here in Dublin.

I have raised the N71, the only national route in west Cork, as a Commencement matter and on the Order of Business. The N71 needs to be properly developed. People listening to this on social media or in the Chamber will know west Cork and the beauty of all towns and villages there. However, driving on the main road into west Cork, from Bandon to Clonakilty to Rosscarbery and on to Skibbereen, is like driving through a third world country. On the front page of the Southern Star, there is a picture of councillors standing in potholes in the middle of Clonakilty. That is how bad it is. This year, we need to see proper investment. You could spend half an hour to 40 minutes in complete congestion when trying to drive through the village of Inishannon. We in west Cork have been treated like third world citizens for 40 years. We need to see proper investment in the N71 for all. I will keep talking about this until there is proper investment. This is common-sense politics, and that is what we need in terms of road maintenance, drainage and proper investment.