The Irish in Britain, including those of Irish descent, make up a significant part of the UK population. Here, you will find news, entertainment, events, sports and features from the local Irish Post newspaper.

IRISH motorists are the unhappiest in Europe and do not feel safe on their own roads.

A European report revealed that Irish drivers are feeling increasingly worried while driving, both day and night.

They are fed up with dangerous road surfaces, according to the European Road User Survey 2006 report, which graphically shows how government expenditure of billions of euro still has not provided a top-class, safer network.

There is stinging criticism for the hopelessly inadequate number of facilities at which to stop and recover from driving fatigue.

The report also found concerns about road surfaces, signs, rest places and general safety on the roads had actually worsened since a similar survey in 2004.

Hundreds of motorists in Ireland were interviewed on 11 key aspects of the road network and the results were compared with those of other countries.

“The quality of the road surface is considered to be the main issue in Ireland,” it says. “Compared with the surrounding countries and the European average, in Ireland relatively fewer drivers feel secure.”

The report also found that most drivers in England are happy with road surface quality and over half of Irish drivers regularly experience delays, compared with 45 per cent of drivers in England and an average of just 40 per cent across Europe.