Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

I agree with the Deputy that this is a difficult issue. The accidents on our roads throughout October have been appalling. I extend my sympathies to the families of those involved in the tragedies. The answer I gave to Question No. 84 emphasised the primacy of the gardaí but I agree with Deputy Mitchell that the information we need to assemble if we are to make legislative or policy judgments is too thinly spread. The entire body of such information is not available in the cohesive and detailed form we would like.

When the House discussed the Driver Testing and Standards Authority Bill 2004, I mentioned that I intend to amend the Bill to provide for the establishment of a new road safety authority, the remit of which will include the gathering of the various details I have mentioned. That single body will be given responsibility for assembling all information.

As Deputy Mitchell correctly stated, there is increasing evidence that drugs play a part in many of the desperately unfortunate road accidents in this country. I accept that legislation would probably be needed to provide for drug testing but I am not sure how the testing methodology would be worked out. I have had many discussions on this issue within the Department of Transport. I have asked my officials to discuss the matter with their counterparts in the Office of the Attorney General.

While we are familiar with the link between alcohol abuse and fatal road accidents, it should be borne in mind that alcohol is not the only cause of the deaths of young people on our roads. It is clear that the abuse of drugs is a major second aspect of the problem.

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