Mr. Michael Rowland:

We have two data sets that we work off. The Senator is right; we have commenced working with the HSE in the last two years. Trinity College Dublin and ourselves have a public health researcher looking at the HIPE data that gives us insights into clinical outcomes of serious injuries. The data set from the Garda is distinct, as it looks at what happened, when it occurred, what the elements of the collision were, the time of day, the type of road, etc., whereas the clinical data we get from the hospital explains the type of injury, the prognosis, the outcome and whether that person has been discharged home or discharged to a step-down facility. They are two complementary data sets that we are working off.

The Senator is right again regarding the hospital data in that it is part of an EU Commission directive. The EU came up with a medical definition for serious injuries within the past few years and it is that medical definition that we are working off with the HIPE database in the HSE. Last year, we published data regarding serious injuries in cyclists and we will be doing that likewise for every other road user type as well. They are two distinct data sets. Will they be linked? I would like to think they will be in the future but at the moment we are doing initial work, that is, reporting on the compliance with MAIS3, which is the clinical definition. It has given us very important information to inform outcomes and interventions for people who have been seriously injured.