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

The Deputy mentioned a road between two towns, which would likely be a regional road. The speed limit there would be 80 km/h. We have not proposed any changes to regional roads. If the Deputy is referring to a national secondary road, the speed limit could be between 80 km/h and 100 km/h but where it is safe to do so, local authorities will be able to revise the speed limit upwards. In many rural areas, the connections between villages and towns are regional roads and there has been a recommendation that there be no change to the regional road default baseline.

The Deputy's second question was about the N4. This is a national primary road with a speed limit of 100 km/h. No recommendation to change the speed limit for national primary roads from 100 km/h to 80 km/h has been proposed so the speed limit on that road will not change under the proposal.

The third issue raised by the Deputy involved penalty points. What we are presented with here is a very high number of collisions, deaths and injuries on bank holiday weekends in particular. Australia's decision to introduce reform in this area in 1997 has saved a significant number of lives and made a significant difference. There is an evidence base for doing this. Penalty points are obviously an administrative system where a penalty is imposed on a licence but it has a clear evidence base during particular periods.

The Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 has allowed for variable speed limits that vary depending on particular weather events. Where there are variable speed limits based on particular weather events, there will be variable enforcement on the basis of the variable speed limits. As such, we already have a system of variance in our legislation. We have been presented with a clear evidence base that this will save lives and make a big difference because when there are higher volumes of cars on our roads, there are higher levels of collisions. This measure can be introduced in primary legislation and we can trial and review it at that point. We see the stark figures for the number of people who die on the roads on bank holiday weekends. This measure has an evidence base.

Regarding the Deputy's point about enforcement, I said earlier that we must increase recruitment. We are trying to strengthen roads policing units and I am advocating for the improved deployment of members of An Garda Síochána to roads policing because these units have a central role in improving deterrence and as a preventative factor in terms of poor driver behaviour. GoSafe plays a complementary role in speed detection but enforcement is improved when we strengthen recruitment.

Regarding pre-legislative scrutiny, there is an urgency to this legislation for a number of reasons. Regarding the review process in local authorities, we would have to change the default limits to allow that to start next year. Deputy Kenny and I were members of the Oireachtas Committee on Justice in the previous Dáil. Pre-legislative scrutiny would delay this Bill for six months, which might mean this Government and Dáil will not be able to see through the reforms on the speed limits review. We are trying to enact the legislation before Christmas. We want to have it ready for early 2024 in terms of having penalty points reforms, multiple offences and mandatory drug testing in one Act. I do not think these areas are contentious but they will make a significant difference. We see the trend in drug driving. I share the views expressed on pre-legislative scrutiny. I believe in the process and when I was Government Chief Whip, I tried to be constructive in the reform around that by striking a balance between the Government always wanting to get things done and pushed through and everyone else wanting to get things through but with scrutiny and input. I value that but these are targeted measures which, if progressed in the coming weeks, will make a difference in 2024.