Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Lowry is correct about the scale of the problem with drug driving. Tracking back on those who have died has shown that 13% of driver fatalities have positive toxicology for cocaine and 7% had a positive toxicology result for cannabis. Those figures, which are for the period 2015 to 2019, show the prevalence of drug driving. In addition, 37% of driver fatalities had a positive toxicology for alcohol during the same period, which also demonstrates the scale of intoxicated driving in the State. On mandatory testing, gardaí often do drug testing but making it mandatory in the legislation will make a difference.

On data, if the Deputy recalls some of the campaigns run by An Garda Síochána in recent weeks, the Garda regularly publishes the number of people detected speeding. It often publishes various information from checkpoints. There is ongoing engagement between the Department of Transport, the Department of Justice and An Garda Síochána on getting the full breadth of information for a specific period. The Garda publishes broader information on offences and detections, as some of its recent campaigns show. It is important to strengthen the message of enforcement so people see the activity of roads policing units across the country.

On the speed limits review, the legislation is being changed to change the default position. Guidance is being worked on to be issued to local authorities. It is about having a more balanced and consistent approach. As I said to Deputy O’Rourke, where national and secondary roads are engineered to a standard that allows the speed limit to remain at 100 km/h, that will be accommodated in the guidance. If a road is of a poor standard and has not been upgraded in many years, it is likely to be at the baseline of 80 km/h, for example.

The Deputy mentioned the speed limit at Goffs for those driving from Kildare. Given the number of junctions and exit points as drivers enter the city at that point, the reduction is a way to start slowing the traffic. Similarly, the reason the speed limit on the N4 goes from 120 km/h to 80 km/h on the approach to Lucan is that it is safer for drivers moving lanes and taking the exits. It is about having a balanced approach.

Local authorities will have the devolved function in the legislation. The guidance will set out wider recommendations and will take a balanced approach. Some local authorities already have some of these limits in place. The problem is that the inconsistencies as one moves between counties do not uphold proper road safety standards. Cyclists or vulnerable road users moving between counties could face different limits on a rural road, for example. That does not uphold proper standards.

On school transport, the Department does not decide age limits for drivers. That is decided independent of us. I know public representatives have been raising this issue and the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, obviously co-ordinates the position on school transport with Bus Éireann directly. That is a matter for Bus Éireann to adjudicate.

We have had some worrying incidents involving vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists this year.

It is important to remember that they are vulnerable road users in our cities. What we have tried to do through investment in active travel is to facilitate better segregation on roads. It is important not to label or alienate any road user, and we are working with everybody to uphold proper road safety standards and protect cyclists, pedestrians and vulnerable road users from unsafe speeds, particularly in our cities and urban areas where we have inconsistency that needs to be addressed.