Róisín Garvey (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for coming in today. It is great to have them here and to have an opportunity to speak. There have been reports in recent months about the level of road traffic injuries being underestimated, given that analysis was being done on Garda records of collisions only. There have been recent reports that the RSA has completed research from both Garda and hospital records that demonstrates just how much worse the situation is.

I have three questions on that. It has been reported that the RSA completed this research using the combined data of both An Garda Síochána and hospitals because of an EU Commission request which states that both data most be used. Is that true? Second, for anyone involved in road safety, it has been best practice and identified for years that in order to get a more comprehensive picture of road safety injuries, both police and healthcare data should be used. Why did the RSA not compile this data previously? If there were legislative or possible GDPR issues, did the RSA call for that data to be released publicly? Will hospital and police data now be linked in a systematic way, not just for ad hoc research projects but linked and available to transport and healthcare researchers and practitioners?

In my previous role, I worked on modal shift for 12 years with schools all over Clare, Galway and Limerick. I have had some issues with the RSA in the past. I used to have regional meetings with the RSA. The regional officer would not engage with me at all on modal shift and said that it was not in their brief. I have never heard the RSA asking for more improvements to infrastructure for walking and cycling. I know it is working with the Department of Education on road safety courses. While I welcome that - it is very important for driver theory tests - I do not hear the call-out for cycle training for all TYs, as well as driving tests. The cycle training is ad hoc. I had to get involved in developing a new national cycling standard was because there was not one. I do not hear the RSA encouraging students to know about the Leap cards. They are not told about that, and I spend a lot of time telling students about it. They do not know about the options around public transport, including Local Links. That is done on an ad hoc basis as well, unlike the driver theory test.

The witnesses have given evidence here today that the increased number of cars on our roads is contributing to an increase in road deaths and injuries. The witnesses stated that themselves today. Under action 41 of the Government's road safety strategy, the RSA is listed as one of the agencies involved in encouraging modal shift. Could the witnesses let me know exactly what campaigns the RSA is running to engage in modal shift? There is a gaping hole there in the work. It is great that the RSA is encouraging driving but there is a thing now where you go from being driven to driving and for so many reasons, we have to do better than that. If increased car use has caused road fatalities or injuries, all of us need to up our game, including the RSA, in what we are doing to give people other options. I am not saying they are safe everywhere but there is plenty of money now being invested in cycle lanes, pedestrian crossings and footpaths. In the RSA's leaflet it says that nobody under 12 should walk to school independently, period, anywhere. That is not best practice.

I would like to hear from the RSA about something. I know for a fact that-----