Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In his opening statement the Minister said there is no silver bullet to fix this but there are solutions and options that would help. The RSA said that the construction of new roads and the maintenance of existing roads were contributory factors in casualties and deaths on the roads. I know he secured an extra €25 million in the budget for this year but in the context of the cuts in the past six to eight years that is a drop in the ocean. We can all flag up dangerous roads, bends, junctions, which we still do not have the money for. The money we have is not enough even for maintenance. It is only enough to stave off the further deterioration of our roads.

I know it is not in the Minister's remit to provide Garda resources and it is up to the Minister for Justice and Equality but what lobbying has the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport done or does the Minister for Justice and Equality not take this seriously? Given that road deaths are increasing and we are not having the effect we would like to have, does the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport have to continually lobby the Minister for Justice and Equality for Garda resources? The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport said we have not yet got the 10% we were promised for this year. The number was almost halved in the past five or six years. The Minister is making a good effort to bring in new laws and penalties in the Road Traffic Bill but without enforcement they are nothing. Any Deputy will tell the Minister that it is common knowledge that people inclined to drink and drive know when they get into the car that there is no chance of being stopped at a checkpoint. When that becomes public knowledge the Minister is fighting an uphill battle.

While the new road safety measures in the Bill are welcome, without enforcement they amount to nothing. Unless the Minister for Justice and Equality and the Government take resourcing the Garda traffic corps seriously and make a serious effort to recruit and resource it this will continue for the rest of the year and maybe into next year. When the Minister said the figures from January to date are the same as last year, there is his answer. There is nobody to enforce the laws. I know it is not strictly his remit but are the Government and the Minister for Justice and Equality taking it seriously? We may not have that 10% until December if we even have it.

There might be a drink driving campaign at Christmas or Easter with all out media coverage focusing everybody's mind but the statistics show that in January it is as you were, back to normal. That has to be consistent so that everybody who thinks about drinking over the limit and getting into a car needs to know that there is every chance of being caught for breaking the law.

Does the Minister think the amendment about unaccompanied learner drivers will pass into law? I have the impression that the National Transport Authority, NTA, has no interest in bringing in the legislation about the rickshaws because it has had ample time to do that before now. That is the reason I tabled that amendment. The NTA says it is non-motorised transport but quad bikes are covered under the Taxi Regulation Act 2016 and the road traffic legislation.

The reason we produced the non-motorised amendment for rickshaws was because it was not covered under anything. Therefore, I do not accept that. As I said, they have had ample time to do it and have not done it. I want clarity on that, because the legal advice that we received was that that amendment was fine and good to go.