Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

The events of the last few days have once again succeeded in putting the question of road safety to the forefront of people's minds and that is welcome.

I intend to take the opportunity afforded to me by these statements to clarify some of the questions that have arisen and to reiterate my commitment and that of the Government to saving lives and reducing injuries on our roads. First, I want to refer to the new learner permit system.

The new system was introduced on 30 October for all new first time licence applicants as well as those renewing their provisional licences after that date. This is a key building stone in the introduction of a graduated licensing system for Ireland. I know that many people depend on their cars and I acknowledge that the backlog of driving tests has meant many of those who would like the opportunity to become fully licensed have not been able to take a driving test. For that reason, I have deferred the introduction of the requirement for second provisional licence holders to be accompanied by a qualified driver until 30 June 2008 to enable those drivers to apply for a driving test or make alternative arrangements.

This move was made in response to two clear messages from the public. First, there is strong support for the proposed reforms to improve road safety. Second, there is a strong desire for a reasonable lead-in time to enable people to prepare for and take their tests or make alternative arrangements.

The amended arrangements that I announced on 28 October are as follows. From 30 October 2007 the provisional licence is being replaced by a learner permit to emphasise the fact that the holder is learning to drive. From 30 October 2007 new applicant learner permit holders must be accompanied by a driver who must hold a full licence for at least two years. With effect from 30 October 2007 new applicant learner permit holders cannot apply for a driving test for six months. Existing provisional licences will continue in force until their expiry dates after which the holders will be issued with learner permits.

From 30 June 2008 the holder of a second provisional licence or learner permit for a car must be accompanied at all times. He or she may, however, drive unaccompanied in the period up to 30 June 2008. The existing rule that first, third and subsequent holders of provisional licences must be accompanied by a person holding a full driving licence, with no minimum period necessary, continues in force until 30 June 2008. From 30 June 2008 all provisional licence or learner permit holders must be accompanied by a driver who has held a full licence for at least two years.

A person whose provisional licence has now lapsed but who held a provisional licence at any time in the five year period prior to 30 October 2007 can renew his or her licence by getting a learner permit before the five year limit expires. The learner permit in that case will not be considered a first-time learner permit. While driving this person must be accompanied by a person who holds a full driving licence and no minimum period is necessary. From 1 December 2007 a learner motorcyclist must wear the letter L on a yellow fluorescent tabard.

All these measures form the initial phase of the introduction of a graduated licence. Graduated licences have saved lives in those countries where they have been introduced and it is right and proper that we also introduce a system of graduated licences to afford maximum protection to all our road users.

I urge all provisional licence holders who have not already done so to prepare and apply for a driving test. Over the past number of days I have had extensive consultations with the RSA with regard to its capacity to deliver these tests. The Government has already committed to providing the necessary finance to the Road Safety Authority to ensure that all 122,000 applicants currently on the waiting list will be tested by early March 2008. This will eliminate the current backlog as promised. By the end of June 2008, all applicants for a driving test will be able to get a test on demand, generally regarded as within ten weeks.

The RSA is working to have all driving instructors registered by 31 December 2008. This means that instructors giving instruction after that date must have passed a three-stage examination covering knowledge, driving skills and ability to give tuition. Applications are currently being processed from driving instructors who wish to be approved. The authority has a dedicated team of specially trained staff to undertake this work and has the capacity to deal with the volume of applications from driving instructors over the coming 14 months.

Undoubtedly, the past few days have shone a spotlight on our attitudes to driving and safety. While it was proper, in response to public concerns, to defer the implementation of the accompaniment rule for second provisional licence holders, I reiterate my strong conviction that a change in the law is needed. I am heartened by the strong support for the measures announced and believe this is indicative of a change in public attitudes to road safety matters. However, I am disappointed that the political criticism of the past few days has focused on my decision at the weekend to respond to the public concerns and has not sufficiently acknowledged the great merits and the comprehensive and far-seeing nature of the strategy approved by the Government.

A concerted and determined effort to resolve the problem of having over 400,000 provisional licence or learner permit holders on our roads is long overdue. When the political controversy has passed, the introduction of the graduated driver licensing regime will have a positive impact on road deaths as learner drivers become more competent. Evidence of this change in attitude to provisional licences and testing can be seen by the fact that thousands of people have applied for the test since last Thursday. Many of us who have had family members, friends or colleagues killed or injured on the roads look forward to a day when we have the safest possible roads. I am confident that over the coming months and years, as the measures in the road safety strategy are rolled out, we will all benefit from the tangible improvement in safety on our roads.

Tonight's debate gives me the opportunity to update the House on recent developments in road safety policy. Over the past year we have seen a distinct improvement in road safety performance, with the year 2006 resulting in the second lowest number of road deaths in 40 years. However, the need for constant vigilance and attention has been clearly shown with more lives lost on our roads last weekend.

The collective goal of all of those involved in the promotion and delivery of road safety policies is to ensure that the improvements achieved in recent years are sustained and built on. Significant initiatives realised over the lifetime of the two previous road safety strategies, in particular over the past two years, included the extension of penalty points and fixed charges, stronger legislation, mandatory roadside alcohol testing, greater levels of enforcement and the establishment of the Road Safety Authority.

The Road Safety Strategy 2007 to 2012 is the outcome of detailed research and consultation with stakeholders. The purpose of the strategy, which was developed by the Road Safety Authority and published last week, is to reduce death and injuries on Irish roads to bring us into line with best practice countries. It will consolidate the reductions in deaths in 2006. During the life of this strategy, more than 400 lives will be saved and Ireland will move closer to becoming one of the best practice countries in the European Union.

The strategy outlines 126 actions and focuses on delivery and outcomes, with built-in targets and accountability. The measures contained in the strategy are based on international best practice and have the endorsement and commitment of all of the stakeholders involved. The RSA carried out a comprehensive public consultation process and the new strategy has the support of the public. It addresses and puts in place actions to deliver many of the provisions for which people have called in recent years and which have a proven road safety dividend in other best practice countries.

I will work with the RSA to ensure that each of the actions outlined in the strategy is delivered in full. An annual progress review will be undertaken by the RSA, which will oversee the implementation of the strategy and report to me on progress. It is an ambitious strategy and it behoves each and every one of us to support its full implementation.

There has been a 20% drop in deaths on Irish roads since the launch of the Government's first road safety strategy in 1998. This has been achieved despite a 52% increase in the number of vehicles on our roads. The reductions experienced in recent years have been continued in 2007. So far this year, 276 road deaths have occurred, which is a reduction of 32 compared to the same date last year. The core objective of the third road safety strategy, 2007 to 2012, is to build on this reduction through a range of measures in the education, engineering and enforcement areas.

The strategy also recognises the need to evaluate policies in order to establish whether they are working. The primary actions set out in the strategy include proposals to reduce road deaths to no greater than 60 fatalities per million population by the end of 2012, with demonstrable downward reductions in each year of the strategy. This equates to an average of 21 road deaths per month or 252 deaths per annum. The average number of road deaths per month so far this year is 28. The strategy also includes the proposal to reduce injuries by 25% and develop a reliable database for serious injuries based on data from the healthcare system and insurance industry by the fourth quarter 2008. It proposes to implement a safety camera network, in the region of 6,000 hours enforcement per month, to increase conformity with speed limits, to increase adult front seat belt wearing rates from 86% to 95% or better and increase the adult rate in the rear seat from 63% to 85% or better by 2012.

The strategy also identifies the need to legislate for and introduce a reduction in the legal blood alcohol level for drivers. The Government has accepted that recommendation. The precise level to which the blood alcohol content will be lowered will follow consideration of the outcome of research being carried out by the RSA into the incidence of drink driving. The target date for completion of this measure in the strategy is the second quarter 2009. This allows for the enactment of the necessary legislation and the adaptation of the enforcement technologies. I will do my best to ensure that as soon as the advice of the RSA on the proposed level is received in the coming months, the target date for the reduction of the blood alcohol content will be improved upon if possible.

It is also proposed to review legislation on the issues of roadside breath testing at the scene of a collision and drug driving, and consider appropriate enforcement options. On the issue of testing at the scene of collisions, the Government has committed, with the assistance of the Office of the Attorney General, that it will determine how existing legislation can be changed to bring about the compulsory testing of drivers at collision scenes, while having necessary regard to overriding medical circumstances.

On the engineering side, the NRA will invest €1.25 billion each year of the strategy on major interurban projects and will develop a new interurban network of motorways and dual carriageways from Dublin to Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford by 2010. There has always been a two-fold objective behind the roads programme, namely, the improvement of our economic infrastructure and the building of safer roads. An abundance of statistical evidence demonstrates that collision rates on our greatly improved stretches of road network are significantly lower than on those parts of the network where improvements are planned.

On education, the Road Safety Authority will implement road safety education programmes in preschool, primary, post-primary and third level facilities and in the community by the end of 2008. It is also proposed to research, develop and publish a national pedestrian safety strategy, a national motorcycling safety strategy and a national cycling safety strategy by the first quarter of 2009. The implementation of these further measures should assist in maintaining the downward trend in road deaths, which we have seen over the past 12 months.

I hope the support articulated by Opposition parties for the road safety strategy covering 2007 to 2012 is real and sustained. I hope it will not evaporate in the face of public opposition to some of the more difficult decisions that will have to be made to ensure the strategy succeeds.

See this speech in context