Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)

We face an emergency in regard to road deaths and serious injury on our roads. The figures are startling. Last year there were 374 road deaths and over 3,000 serious injuries. It is clear these figures will be exceeded this year as predictions are for approximately 380 roads deaths and over 3,000 serious injuries. When one looks at what happens in the United States, for example, when they expect a hurricane or a tornado they make efforts to reduce the number of people who will die as a consequence, but one wonders what we are doing to reduce what we know will happen by way of carnage on our roads. Given that we know that this year 380 people will be killed on our roads and 3,000 people will be seriously injured, what are we doing about it? It is clear that many of those deaths are preventable and many of those serious injuries should not happen.

I am not into the types of foolish stakes of a former Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when he spoke about zero tolerance and pretended it would lead to zero crime. I have heard recognised experts and have looked at the various reports, and indeed, the figures produced by the chairman of the National Safety Council who said that with best practice, we should be talking about six deaths per 100,000. That would give a figure of 240 deaths per annum. That figure is comparable internationally. Why are we not talking about saving lives and about taking those preventative measures to achieve best practice outcomes? By not doing so, we are all responsible for the deaths of at least 100 people and for the fact that at least 1,000 people will be seriously injured on our roads this year alone.

While, of course, I point the finger at the Government, which can take measures, I accept there is a responsibility on us all to push for changes to legislation, for measures to be taken as regards enforcement, for the necessary investment in this area and for insisting that at all times this issue should be a number one priority. If the hurricane or tornado predicted by Brendan McWilliams in The Irish Times was to happen, we would take measures to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries, but we are not doing so in regard to road deaths. It is obvious what we should do. One does not have to reinvent the wheel in this regard. The prescription is in the Government's own road strategy. It admits there should be a targeted reduction in the number of road deaths to 300 per annum. All the measures have been set out in detail but the problem is they have not been implemented. Why not?

My colleague, Deputy Olivia Mitchell, has covered the broad issue and I do not intend to plough the same ground. I will, therefore, refer to a number of issues such as speeding. Everybody accepts speed is a major problem in the context of road traffic accidents. Why has it not been dealt with? Why are there only three fixed speed cameras in the State, which is ridiculous? Why is the rate of enforcement of road traffic legislation only a fraction of that in other countries? Why has the Government not provided the equipment or the personnel? Is the money not available to make such provision? Why is this investment not made?

We also need to examine how best to make such provision. The privatisation of the operation of speed cameras, thereby improving enforcement, should be considered so that the Garda can deal with serious crime. A dedicated company should be involved in speed detection. The State has had bad experiences in the privatisation of road traffic functions, particularly clamping. I recall a number of incidents in Galway where the clampers were an absolute disgrace. However, with proper control, a privatised system could be introduced which would achieve results.

The key factor in speed detection is to discourage people from breaking the law. It should be aimed at reducing road accidents. There is no point in enforcing speed limits by setting up checkpoints to spear fish in a barrel to generate revenue or pursue detections in areas where there is no serious risk of an accident. It must be ensured blackspots and black times such as weekends are targeted. If the system were privatised, a bonus could be paid to those involved on the basis of the reduction in road deaths as opposed to speeding detections. That could be the benchmark against which the employees could be judged for a bonus.

A new approach to the detection of speeding and drink driving and the enforcement of speed limits is needed. The drink driving laws are largely ignored and not enforced, with an occasional push at Christmas and other times. Attitudes must change but, above all, stronger enforcement is needed. The Garda must be involved but the force's numbers are not large enough. Earlier in a radio interview, it was stated the thin blue line is getting thinner in many areas and has disappeared in some parts of the State. Issues such as random breath sampling must be examined. Promises have been made in this regard and, while it presents difficulties, they should be teased out. The difficulties have been resolved in other countries such as Australia and New Zealand. For example, sobriety checkpoints have been introduced in a number of states in America to get over the difficulties. The Government should do something in this regard. Its road strategy lists legislative measures which look grand in print but that is where they remain.

My colleagues are as seriously concerned about this issue as I am. The prescription is available regarding what should be done legislatively and through enforcement. Investment needs to be made and the money is available. Why in the name of goodness does the Government not follow the prescription? Why is this issue not a priority on its agenda? Until it is a priority, many people will be needlessly killed or seriously injured on our roads. The time for action is now and that is what we, in Fine Gael, demand of the Government.

See this speech in context