Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputy Ferris for raising the matter. 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. Over the past year we have seen a distinct improvement in our road safety performance with 2007 resulting in the lowest number of road deaths in 40 years.

My reply to the Deputy is very much from a strategic point of view and I accept that sometimes quoting statistics is of very little value to people like the Deputy's constituents who have had a tragedy in the family. One death is one too many. The reply may not give comfort to the family about which the Deputy spoke.

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 and, in particular, over the last two years, include the extension of penalty points and fixed charge systems, stronger legislation, mandatory roadside alcohol testing, increased levels of enforcement and, in September 2006, the establishment of the Road Safety Authority.

The road safety strategy for the period 2007-12 was launched last October and sets out the direction on road safety for the next five years. It is the outcome of detailed research and consultation with stakeholders by the Road Safety Authority. The purpose of the strategy is to reduce death and injuries on all Irish roads and in doing so, bring us into line with best practice countries. It will consolidate the reductions in deaths in 2006 and 2007.

It is estimated that in the lifetime of this strategy, approximately 400 lives will be saved and Ireland will move closer to becoming one of the best practice countries in the EU.

The development of the strategy by the Road Safety Authority, following a comprehensive public consultation process, has the support of the public. A total of 126 actions are outlined and the focus is on delivery and outcomes with built-in targets and accountability. The strategy addresses and puts in place actions to deliver many of the items which people have called for in recent years and which have a proven road safety dividend. Indeed, many of the actions set out in the strategy are either directly or indirectly focused on improving road safety on rural roads. I heard what the Deputy said about road signs and road markings.

The core objective of the strategy is 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. One of the actions set out in the strategy to reduce road deaths relates to changes in our driver licensing system. The introduction of a new learner permit on 30 October for all new first time licence applicants as well as those renewing their provisional licence after that date is a key building stone in the introduction of a graduated licensing system for Ireland. The aim of the system is to reduce the number of collisions, deaths and injuries among novice drivers during the learning process, particularly the high risk 17 to 24 year old age group.

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 level will be lowered will follow consideration of the outcome of research being carried out by the Road Safety Authority. The target date for completion of this measure in the strategy is the second quarter of 2009.

On the engineering side, the National Roads Authority will invest €1.25 billion for each year of the strategy on major inter-urban projects and will develop a new inter-urban network of motorways and dual carriageways from Dublin to Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford by 2010. However, I realise that the Deputy is referring to non-national roads and local roads. I accept that almost 45% of deaths are caused on those roads, whereas much of the investment is going into the motorways and the national roads. The aspects about which the Deputy speaks relate to local roads and there are too many deaths on those roads. Those items do not cost millions or trillions of euro and they should be carried out. I cannot quote the specifics out of the 126 headings of the strategy which refer to that, but I heard what the Deputy has said and I will report back his points.

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