Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

As I said in reply to Deputy Kenny previously, no one can be happy when anyone is killed on our roads. I agree that every road tragedy is a huge loss to a family, a community and a neighbourhood. The rise in road deaths figures over the recent period is a cause of huge regret.

A range of measures is under way. I have been involved in a series of relevant meetings recently, and over the years. Over the past decade we have seen an increase of almost 70% in the number of licensed vehicles using our roads and tragically, from a 40-year low of 335 people killed on the roads in 2003, which I consider 335 deaths too many, road deaths have increased in the past two years, with 374 people killed in 2004 and 399 killed last year. The opening weeks of this year have seen a further high level of road mortality, with 50 deaths though we are only in the first week of February.

Clearly we need to push home the message that 86% of deaths on the roads are caused by driver error. Speeding is the main killer. People must share responsibility and slow down. They must stop drinking and driving. In order to reinforce that message and force a dramatic improvement in driver behaviour we are currently introducing a co-ordinated series of measures in addition to those we have already introduced. We are the first Government to have a dedicated road safety strategy. We have introduced penalty points for speeding and for offences with regard to seat belts, insurance and careless driving. We have established a dedicated Garda traffic corps headed by an assistant commissioner. The number of gardaí assigned to the traffic corps reached 570 at the end of last year, will increase to 805 this year and to its maximum, 1,200, in 2008. We have invested in new, improved, safer roads, at enormous expense, with €1.5 billion being spent annually.

We are also seeing the results of improved enforcement. Though last year was a bad one for road deaths, nearly 300,000 drivers received penalty points, an increase of more than 100,000 on the previous year's figure of 189,000. We are introducing a series of other measures. The legal issues of speed cameras and random sampling have been resolved. As I explained last week, tricky legal issues were involved, but I co-ordinated a meeting which dealt with them. That legislation has been given urgent priority. It will help the Attorney General and the parliamentary draftsman. Hopefully, it will be in the House in this session, which is what I intend.

It gives me no satisfaction. People sometimes argue about the list of the new offences, asking if these penalty points are any use and will they solve the problem. Unfortunately, we are forced into taking these measures. Almost 600 people were dying on our roads 30 years ago when we had half the number of cars. This does not give any satisfaction. The reality is that people are not driving safely, they are taking too many risks and pushing the speed limits. Even though the roads are incrementally better than they were then, we are seeing too many tragedies. The only way we can respond is for gardaí to take measures that will inconvenience people.

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