Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)

It beggars belief that at a time when there is so much concern about road safety, we do not have a road safety strategy. The last strategy related to 2004-06 and effectively ran out last December. We have entered the second quarter of the year. Where is the road safety strategy?

The last time the Minister was asked about this, he said he expected to receive the new strategy in March and that he would consult his Government colleagues. Has he received that draft from the RSA and, if not, why not? At this point in the year, 92 people have lost their lives on Irish roads. Last weekend was particularly bad. We cannot afford to wait around and take our eye off the ball in respect of road safety, which is what seems to have happened, given that it is now April and there is still no sign of a road safety strategy.

Last year, when we debated the Road Traffic Bill, Deputies on this side of the House made a number of suggestions in respect of improved road safety. The Minister undertook at the time to take all these on board and consider them. He promised that a new road traffic Bill would appear by December last, but that has not appeared either. We have a roads Bill which is primarily about open road tolling, but we do not have a road traffic Bill, as promised by the Minister.

What is going wrong within the Minister's Department? Why is it that by April we still do not have a road safety strategy for the current year? Why, given that the Minister made promises last year in respect of new measures, are there no plans to legislate for them?

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