James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)

In the spirit of generosity and victory, I will not refer to a Government climbdown or any words to that effect. However, it is encouraging for Members and in particular for those people who have been bereaved and left without much-loved family members due to the rising road carnage, that this issue has been resolved. Such people have been victims of a Government that does not enforce its own legislation or initiatives. Most actions of the Government send out a message of lower priority regarding driver behaviour and the subsequent threat to road safety. Consequently, can anyone be surprised when some drivers pick up the signals and cause mayhem, injury and death on the roads?

Before the election, as is well known, the Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, gave a commitment to introduce mandatory testing but was scuppered thereafter by the Minister. However, with his record of finding strange excuses, the Taoiseach then blamed the delayed implementation on technology. I believe this sounds familiar as those mad e-voting machines did not work either. Perhaps the Taoiseach is technologically challenged.

Before the Government's change of mind, I wondered what impact the motion before the House would have on its actions. It has been forced to listen to Fine Gael's recommendations and into an embarrassing U-turn. However, the bottom line is that Fianna Fáil cannot be trusted to implement its election promises freely but must be held to account continually.

Mandatory testing at accidents will mean that lives will be saved. However, a continuation of general Government inaction will spell more deaths, carnage and grief to bereaved families. It is irrefutable that in global terms, Ireland is far behind in the enforcement of drink-driving laws, particularly as mandatory testing is already the norm in Northern Ireland and throughout much of Europe. Fatalities on Irish roads have dropped by only 10.9% since 2001, compared to falls of 42.3% and 42% in France and Portugal, respectively. Previously, the latter had been the worst-performing country. In the past two months, road deaths in Ireland have risen by 35% when compared to the same period last year. Drink driving is out of control and the Garda reports an average of 350 incidents per week in the past few months. As no road safety strategy is in place at present, it is essential for the Government to take decisive action on road deaths. Nevertheless, many drink drivers who are involved in serious or fatal accidents will slip through the net because as yet, there is no requirement for compulsory tests at accident scenes.

Fine Gael attempted to introduce compulsory alcohol testing via proposed amendments to the Roads Bill 2007. However, those amendments were rejected by the Government. Obviously, compulsory alcohol testing should not interfere with medical assistance but should be carried out as soon as medically feasible. This is the present position in Northern Ireland, where the police have a greater rate of alcohol testing of drivers involved in road traffic accidents than do gardaí in the South, who use their own discretion.

Much of the problem in respect of safety on the roads can be laid at the door of the spendthrift Government. Despite throwing away millions in one fiasco after another, it has failed to set a budget for road safety strategy, thus making it difficult if not impossible to measure the performance of enforcement measures taken under this strategy. The Irish Insurance Federation has called for more resources to be put into road safety. I agree fully with its contention that road safety must be given the political priority and resources it needs desperately before many more people lose their lives needlessly.

The state of the roads is disgraceful and the lack of proper road infrastructure in some areas, as well as a lack of proper road maintenance and signage are some of the greatest contributory factors to our too-high level of road fatalities. For example, the midlands was completely overlooked and neglected in Transport 21's proposals, given the omission of essential works on what are some of the most dangerous roads in Ireland. I call on the Government to introduce the necessary legislation relating to mandatory testing within the promised three months in the interests of reversing Ireland's appalling record on road deaths. This should be followed by making good on other promises in respect of a nationwide speed camera system and a revision of the driving test regime among other measures. I appeal to the Minister to act rapidly in this regard.

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