Mr. Sam Waide:

The new governance model has already encouraged better partnership working. As a country, we have been successful in reducing road fatalities. The previous strategy comprised a number of actions and, using their best efforts, people delivered a lot of good stuff. However, they did not deliver some other stuff because there was a lack of funding or funding was reallocated. The difference with the new strategy and governance model is that a partnership approach is being taken. We have already mentioned the various organisations and pressures involved, but we are in a partnership room together and I look forward to us helping one another to address problems rather than going "He said, she said" and pointing fingers.

We have already covered the second part of the Deputy's question on funding. We are talking about a 50% reduction in the number of deaths and serious injuries between now and 2030. Does anyone believe that a 50% reduction in anything is possible without additional or new moneys to transform road safety in Ireland for the good? It is the right thing to do. There needs to be a recognition that this is additional. I have shared with the committee what the additional request for the first four years will be. Our organisation and our delivery partners are all determined to have break points in the strategy – 2024, 2027 and 2030 – so that we can step back and determine whether it is realistic and whether we need more funding than was set out originally.

There may be areas where we have good strands, make good progress and do not need as much funding as we thought but I do not believe that. I believe this will always be a case of an ongoing commitment to provide new, different money. This is not just about building new roads and putting in extra cycle lanes. It is much more than that.

I have shared with the committee the statement of resource for the next four years. Concern was expressed earlier about there being so much to do. My delivery partners in all the agencies and I have committed to delivering those 50 high-impact actions in that time but we need support and funding to make that happen. Otherwise, I will be here in one year or four years and it will sound repetitive. I will be saying it has not been delivered because the funding was not released or allocated.