Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)

Up to this morning 316 people had been killed on Irish roads this year, which is shocking. According to the recently published Road Safety Strategy, the 333 road deaths in the year between June 2006 and June 2007 equates to approximately 80 deaths per 1 million of the population. In the UK, this figure is 50 deaths per 1 million. A driver is therefore 60% more likely to be killed on an Irish road than on a road in the UK.

A driver on an Irish road is more likely to be killed than one in Malta, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, the UK, Switzerland, Denmark, Turkey, Germany, Finland, Northern Ireland, Iceland and France. Most research suggests that the main contributory factors to road accidents are alcohol and speeding. I recognise the efforts of the Garda Síochána and the Road Safety Authority, RSA, to educate drivers and enforce drink-driving legislation. Based on today's figures, the members of the Garda Síochána enforcing drink-driving legislation, coupled with the advertising campaigns of the RSA, can take credit for the 34 lives fewer lost this year when compared with last year. Although we have not yet reached the end of the year the figure for 2006 was 350, whereas this year to date it is 316.

How can we make Irish roads as safe as those in the UK, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway? According to the RSA, excessive speed is a contributory factor in one in three road accidents. We have been promised a more vigorous approach to speed limit enforcement and a roll-out of mobile cameras in 2007. Will the Minister announce the introduction of the speed cameras in the few weeks remaining before the end of the year? Whatever about the enforcement, the roll-out of the cameras will be a major factor in convincing people that speed will not pay. The Garda Síochána do not have enough resources to cover the roads and enforce the traffic and other laws but the speed cameras will hopefully make people conscious of their responsibility.

I read the following article in the Irish Independent on Saturday last:

A loophole in the system used to administer traffic offences is allowing thousands of motorists who have been caught speeding or driving without a seat-belt or using a mobile phone to escape unpunished.

This is because they allegedly did not receive official notification of the offence in the post.

A senior garda inspector has warned that the issue was one of national importance . . . . Hundreds of cases have been dismissed from district court sittings as offending motorists claim they received no ticket in the postal system.

As a result, penalty points on driving licences are not being imposed and revenue for motoring fines is not being collected.

After dismissing four cases in a row recently at Limerick District Court, Judge Elizabeth McGrath expressed concern and asked what was being done to address the problem.

Inspector Seamus Gallagher of Henry Street garda station told the court, "There is an issue there and it is being looked into nationally." [Is it being "looked into nationally"?]

When a motorist is stopped by gardai for an offence committed while driving, he/she is told they will be given notice in the post in the coming weeks.

If a motorist fails to pay the fine within the time permitted, a summons is issued for a court appearance.

Dismissed

But hundreds of motorists are claiming that they never received notice of the fine and their cases are dismissed, effectively allowing them to get away with committing road traffic offences.

. . . . "The problem arises because when it comes to court proceedings we have to be able to prove that the person receives the fixed penalty notice and if a person is willing to state in court they did not receive it, the judge is in a predicament," . . . .

The Minister might make reference to speed cameras and the problem that arose recently in court cases in Limerick.

See this speech in context