Dr. Shawna Coxon:

I thank the Chairman and committee for the invitation to attend to discuss the very important issue of road safety. I am joined by Assistant Commissioner Catharina Gunne, who has recently taken on responsibility for the roads policing and community engagement function within An Garda Síochána.

I begin by taking a moment to acknowledge the victims and family members bereaved as a result of a road traffic collisions and indeed all those who have been seriously injured in such collisions. Much of our discussion today may focus on facts and figures, but I want to ensure we do not lose sight of the fact that behind each of the statistics outlined here, we recognise that there is a person whose life has been taken away or forever changed due to an incident on our roads.

As of 8 October 2025, the number of individuals who have died on our roads stands at 131, which is a reduction of 2% on the same period last year, while the number of serious injury collisions stands at 1,009, which is a reduction of 6% on last year. The 135 lives lost and over 1,000 serious injury collisions have left so many families and communities suffering, the consequences of which have lifelong effects.

An Garda Síochána takes its responsibilities seriously in this area. This is why, when we received an anonymous report of potential systemic failures, we undertook an independent review, in the form of the Crowe report, which was recently published. I echo the sentiments of the Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly and the entire Garda Síochána leadership team that some of the findings of the Crowe report are shocking and deeply concerning.

The report noted that the majority of roads policing unit personnel are dedicated, professional and productive. There was no evidence of a systemic, organised culture of work avoidance or deliberate poor performance within roads policing. Indeed, many roads policing personnel take pride in the importance of their work as they have seen first-hand the trauma of road traffic collisions on many families. However, it did identify a small number of gardaí whose poor work ethic and productivity are extremely concerning. This is not acceptable.

Based on the findings of and recommendations in the Crowe report, I, as deputy commissioner for policing operations, established a project board to oversee the necessary changes required and a roads policing transformation project team led by Assistant Commissioner Catharina Gunne to address the findings and recommendations of the Crowe report. We have accepted all of the recommendations and are implementing them at the highest level of An Garda Síochána.

While the work being undertaken by the project board and project team began recently, progress has already been made, with a number of working groups established to focus on key areas, including performance management and the distribution of our vehicle fleet. Other more challenging recommendations, such as the overall structure of roads policing, have also begun.

Road safety is not just for roads policing personnel. It is a core policing function carried out by all front-line members. This includes engaging in proactive enforcement activity, high-visibility roads policing, education and training, community engagement and communications activities. Every member of An Garda Síochána is involved in road safety-related activities. Looking at last year, for example, 75% of our checkpoints and 60% of our enforcement were carried out by front-line members who were not attached to roads policing units. An Garda Síochána continues to operate the 30 minutes of roads policing activity initiative introduced by former Commissioner Drew Harris. We continue to work in partnership with the Road Safety Authority and with other statutory bodies and interagency partners to strengthen our collaboration to achieve Vision Zero under the Government's Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030.

In the education space, An Garda Síochána delivers the lifesaver project and Garda schools programme, while we also work collaboratively with universities to deliver road safety reimagined. The motorcycle safety initiative is provided through Operation Bike Safe, while Operation Nexus provides outreach to car enthusiasts. Days of operation are also held periodically throughout the year, with a number of these taking place this month, including our October bank holiday road safety campaign. This week, we are involved in activities for Irish road safety week.

In the area of proactive enforcement, a new addition to our fleet in the form of an unmarked HGV, has provided us with greater capabilities in assessing the driving behaviours of truck drivers and other motorists through Operation Iompar. Furthermore, the first phase of a national safety camera network has been implemented, with nine static and three average speed cameras now fully operational at a cost of €3.8 million. Meanwhile, additional Go Safe hours were contracted from May 2024 to October 2025 at a cost of €5.1 million. Under this plan, a full analytical review has been completed of all 100,000 km of public roads in the country. These have been analysed from a suitability perspective for both static and average speed cameras.

In terms of personnel, roads policing competitions took place in three regions during 2024. A roads policing panel already existed in 2024 for the Dublin metropolitan region and a new roads policing competition for the DMR commenced last month. Between 2024 and now, 68 gardaí were allocated to roads policing. As Garda recruitment continues and accelerates, with our new recruitment campaign about to close tomorrow, additional Garda members will be available and will be deployed to priority areas. All front-line members of An Garda Síochána, including those outside of full-time roads policing units, have a role to play in the enforcement of road traffic offences and do so on a daily basis.

I acknowledge the good work our gardaí do in the area of road safety. Members of An Garda Síochána understand first-hand the trauma felt by families who have lost a loved one in a road traffic collision. They are often the first emergency responders who arrive at the scene of collisions and have often had to deliver the devastating news about the loss of a loved one to families. As difficult as this is, our members are fully aware that this is in no way compares to the lifelong suffering a family endures as a result.

I acknowledge Garda Kevin Flatley, who died on 11 May 2025 while operating a speed checkpoint in Dublin. He dedicated his life to making our roads safer. It was something he was passionate about because he had seen the devastation collisions cause. Today, my thoughts are also with his family and his roads policing colleagues, who continue with their important work.

Unfortunately, our enforcement efforts are needed because we continue to see dangerous behaviours on the road. Every individual who has control of a vehicle has a responsibility to themselves and to others. It is important that each of us be mindful of our responsibilities. As of 1 October of this year, 3,594 people have been arrested for drink driving, representing an increase of 4% on the same period last year, while drug driving has seen an increase of 5%, with 2,179 arrests made. We have also seen rises in detections for mobile phone use while driving as well as for not wearing seatbelts, which is a concern. Speeding also remains a significant factor in road traffic collisions.

I take this opportunity to advise anyone getting behind the wheel of any vehicle today to consider very carefully how your actions could impact others. In particular, I implore drivers to slow down and take their time. They should not drive when distracted and put their mobile phones away. A text or phone call can wait. Drivers should wear a seatbelt and ensure all those who travel with them are kept safe by ensuring they are also wearing a seatbelt. People should not use drugs and drive, nor should they be passengers in cars if the drivers have consumed alcohol or drugs or engage in dangerous behaviours. Driving is a responsibility and we need to look out for each other.

An Garda Síochána remains committed to keeping people safe on our roads. I thank the committee. I am happy to answer any questions.