A group representing the families of people who have died in road crashes has written to Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae asking him to stop delaying the passage of road safety legislation in the Dáil.
In a letter sent this afternoon, Susan Gray, the founder of the road safety group PARC, urged Mr Healy-Rae to "stop filibustering the Dáil and allow the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2017 to be passed and enacted without further delay."
The letter says: "It is heartbreaking for anyone bereaved in a road traffic collision to hear you, your brother Danny and Mattie McGrath doing your damnedest to prevent this lifesaving piece of legislation passing into law.
"Your actions in the Dáil has resulted in the Bill being delayed time and time again, showing that you neither care nor understand our suffering or grief nor do you appear to care that your constituents may suffer as a result.
"We also find it disturbing that your two colleagues in Dáil Éireann, as our legislators, would appear to be promoting the breaking of the learner driver laws with regards to driving unaccompanied."
Ms Gray founded PARC after the death of her husband Steve on St Stephen's night 2004 in a road traffic collision on a rural road in Inishowen, Co Donegal.
He was knocked down and killed by a young unaccompanied learner driver.
In her letter to Mr Healy-Rae she asks if he would be willing to meet some of the families to hear the true devastation caused by drink-impaired drivers and unaccompanied learner drivers.
"By meeting with us you might begin to understand that we are not just facts and figures but real people whose loved ones have been robbed from us.
"We are suffering so much and our lives are changed forever," she said.
When contacted for a response Mr Healy-Rae said he had not had a chance to read the letter, and would not comment until he had considered it in full.
Last night the Dáil was adjourned after angry exchanges over the proposed legislation.
