Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I share the Chairman's sentiments about condolences. There was another fatal accident yesterday and I express my sympathies to the family, as I did in the Seanad yesterday. I also thank the committee for the invitation to come here today to discuss what may be the most emotional subject in my Department. Saving lives is a very high priority, if not the top priority, and that is what we are here to do today. If any member of the committee wants to make suggestions or talk to any of my officials afterwards about certain situations they think could be remedied in a certain way, they are welcome to do so. I am happy to give a certain amount of time to people to talk in private and public about this issue because it is so important. I hope they will take that in the spirit in which it is meant.

I think we all agree that the increase in road fatalities in 2016 to 188 is deeply disappointing. The number of fatalities as a result of a road traffic collision in 2015 was 162. While this was the second time in the past five years that record low numbers were seen, the reality is that each of those deaths is one too many. Notwithstanding the fact that has also been an upward trend in road fatalities over the past few years in Europe and in the US, we must all work to ensure that the upward trend at home is reversed. I think people should realise that despite the fact that 2015 was a good year, the two preceding years were bad. It is never a good year but 2015 was an improvement while 2016 was a continuation of the upward trend in road fatalities we have seen in the past four years. That is a very serious acknowledgement. My officials, the Road Safety Authority and I are working to tackle the main causes of serious road collisions causing death and major injuries. We have identified the four main causes of death and serious injury on our roads. They are speeding, intoxicated driving, use of mobile phones and non-wearing of seat belts. Our road safety strategy must place a renewed focus on addressing these four killer behaviours. We are launching a sustained attack on drunk drivers.

To improve road safety, we need to keep up the pressure on all fronts - enforcement, engineering, education and awareness, driver training and vehicle standards. On all these fronts, I am actively considering what measures can be introduced to curb the devastating rise in road deaths last year and to reverse this trend. My Department, local authorities and I continue to push forward with this multi-pronged approach. The Road Safety Authority, the Department of Justice and Equality, An Garda Síochána, local authorities, the Health and Safety Authority, the Office of the Attorney General and I are now meeting quarterly, which is a doubling of meetings in a year, to tackle the upward trend in road deaths. I convened the latest meeting of the ministerial committee on 12 January as a meeting that was not scheduled and have arranged a further meeting that will take place next month as a direct result of the figures that are coming in.

The figures for this year have not improved. They are the same today as on this day last year. We are five or six weeks into the new year.

At our last meeting, in January, I very much welcomed the assurance by An Garda Síochána that there will be an increase of 10% in the traffic corps during the course of 2017, resulting in more checkpoints and greater enforcement of traffic law, and that road safety enforcement is a priority in the 2017 Garda policing plan. Resources are somewhat sparse but the Garda has responded to these figures in a way that is meaningful and that I hope will produce results.

The road safety strategy for the period 2013 to 2020, which sets out the Government's plans for road safety and contains 144 separate actions, is currently undergoing a midterm review, and a meeting of stakeholders to facilitate this review was held in Dublin Castle last November. I attended part of it. The Road Safety Authority is currently completing a report on this review, which I understand will be presented to me in the coming weeks. Reports and reviews are no longer enough, and reports about reviews are no longer enough. We are committed to taking action now in a very proactive way, as seen from the programme of legislation and other measures that I will outline.

Regrettably, there is no single action or silver bullet to decrease the number of deaths and serious injuries from collisions on our roads. There are heavy penalties under road traffic legislation to ensure those detected are severely punished. The new Road Traffic Act 2016, just passed, contains further measures to make our roads safer. That Act, which was signed into law on 27 December 2016, includes new road safety measures dealing with drug driving, mutual recognition of driving disqualifications with the United Kingdom and a new optional 20 km/h speed limit in built-up areas. These new provisions will be commenced as soon as humanly possible.

I am extremely concerned over the statistics on intoxicated driving. I am determined to tackle this area, and it is being tackled as a matter of urgency. The RSA's research indicates alcohol was a contributory factor in 38% of collisions in the period 2008 to 2012. These figures may be out of date but they are alarming and the most up to date available. Anecdotal evidence is that alcohol is a contributory factor in an even higher proportion of fatal accidents.

An Garda Síochána's recent drink driving campaign, which ran from 1 December to 8 January, resulted in 961 arrests for drink driving, a 35% increase on the same period last year. Driving under the influence of alcohol therefore continues to be a major problem, and the highest risk group identified comprises young male drivers, as members will know. Drivers under the age of 44 accounted for 70% of the intoxicated drivers in 2015, with 81% of all intoxicated drivers being male. We have not solved that problem. If anyone suggests we did so in earlier times or decades, it is a delusion. More shockingly, the Medical Bureau of Road Safety data for 2015 indicate that 60% of those detected driving while intoxicated were over twice the legal alcohol limit. Some 20% were three times over the legal limit, and 22% were four times over the legal limit. While various hard-hitting measures, such as mandatory alcohol testing, the lowering of the drink driving limit and the introduction of tougher penalties, have had a profound effect on the vast majority of drivers, there are still, on average, 152 drivers arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence every week. Clearly, this is simply not acceptable. With that in mind, I am concerned that in certain cases where people have breached the alcohol limit while driving, the awarding of three penalty points sends out the message that it is not a serious offence. I therefore intend to remove the current penalty and replace it with a disqualification period so all people who are found to be drink driving will receive an automatic disqualification from driving. Amending the law to ensure all those detected engaging in such dangerous behaviour will receive a disqualification will help to send a message that driving under the influence is never acceptable. This is an absolute.

My Department has drafted the heads of a Bill to provide that all drivers who are caught drink driving will receive this mandatory disqualification from driving. This has been circulated to Ministers for comment by 9 February, and I intend to bring it to the Cabinet on 14 February, next week. I am determined that this Bill will be enacted as quickly as possible. I propose to ask both Houses for their co-operation in this matter by not prosing amendments on this single issue and to this very focused Bill. We want to get it through quickly because we believe it will actually save lives quickly. One of the legitimate complaints made about road safety legislation is that it has been delayed by various measures that have delayed more immediate measures that are necessary. While we will consider every proposal, we ask members to regard this important legislation as a matter of urgency and not to introduce any amendments that would take a long time to address and delay its passage.

My officials working in the road safety area are also working on four other Bills this year. This is somewhat unprecedented but entirely necessary. The urgency with which we regard this problem is certainly indicated by the amount of legislation to tackle this problem.

The road traffic (prompt decisions) Bill 2017 relates to the exchange of vehicle registration and driver data for the purpose of combating cross-Border crime and terrorism. This Bill will provide the legal basis for one element of the requirements under the legislation, with the legal basis for the exchange of fingerprint and DNA data coming under the remit of my colleague the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality. I intend to bring a memorandum to the Government in that regard as soon as possible.

The Road Safety Authority (amendment) Bill 2017 will provide for other road safety matters, including the provision of a database of disqualified drivers, and strengthen the vires of the functions of the Road Safety Authority. The preparation of this Bill is currently under way and I hope to bring the draft heads to the Government later this year.

The road traffic (master licence record) Bill 2017 will provide the necessary vires for my Department's national vehicle driver file master licence record project. The master licence record project will, for the first time, link vehicles to drivers and make this information available to other stakeholders, such as An Garda Síochána, which will be of considerable assistance in road safety enforcement.

Work will commence in the coming months on a road traffic (compulsory motor insurance) Bill to help clarify, simplify and improve existing motor insurance legislation, including an examination of the Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland and its role regarding uninsured driving. Possible amendments of legislation arising in the light of recent European Court of Justice decisions will also be included in that Bill.

I am determined that in 2017 we will reverse the trend in road deaths we saw last year in co-operation with An Garda Síochána and the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality. I am particularly encouraged by the recent assurances I have received from An Garda Síochána and the Tánaiste that there will be an increase of 10% in the traffic corps during the course of 2017, resulting in more check points and greater enforcement of traffic law, and that road safety enforcement is a priority in the 2017 Garda policing plan.

If the message that one will be caught if one drives and drinks is not already loud and clear, we want it to out. If one is caught, one will be disqualified. Ireland is currently ranked fifth best for road safety across the European Union. While I recognise that in light of the recent fatalities trends, maintaining that position will be very challenging, I believe that if we all refocus our efforts we can reverse the upward trend and save more lives.