Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In conclusion, I thank all of you for being here; Mr. Waide and his team, Mr. Rowland and Ms O'Connor, Professor Cusack, assistant commissioner Hilman, and Superintendent Murphy. Obviously, all committees are here to raise and articulate problems and concerns. However we acknowledge, and I certainly do, the enormous improvements in road safety figures over the years. I think 1972 was one of the worst years ever with more than 600 deaths, at a time when there was probably half or one-third the number of cars on the road. Road standards were admittedly probably not as good. There was probably a lot more drink driving than there is now. At the same time, relatively speaking, there are a lot more people driving, but one death is absolutely horrific for the family, friends and colleagues and the people involved. To see figures going the wrong way is disappointing. We had our opening statement last week, and it was amended because somebody had died that morning. We have unfortunately had five more over the weekend. Every time I hear of one I think it is one too many. I know the witnesses feel the same. It is what they do for a living and it is what they do every day of the week. What they are doing is a vocation to a certain extent. We appreciate it. It is our job to make sure we get the message out to remind people. It is night-time, it is rural and it is weekends. That is not to say it is not happening everywhere else, but they are the biggest factors. The biggest risk factors are night-time, in the dark, weekends from Friday to Sunday, speeding, intoxication by both drugs and alcohol and the simple things like wearing seat-belts and not using your mobile phone. These are all the evidence based fatalities, as the witnesses have said. We must all pay a little more attention. Every bit we do is good. Every bit extra we do is better. Let us all hope we have an improvement and reduction in the figures for the next three months of this year - October, November and December - and equally into 2024.

I thank the witnesses for all they are doing, and we will no doubt see them back here again.