Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

Today, there are 35 more people alive than this day last year. Road deaths in Ireland dropped by 30% in the period from 1997 to 2007. A total of 472 people lost their lives on our roads in 1997 compared to 339 in 2007. This downward trend, which has thankfully continued this year, was achieved despite the fact that there has been a large increase in the number of drivers and vehicles on our roads.

According to the European road safety performance index programme, the PIN programme, which is run by the European Transport Safety Council, ETSC, Ireland is now ranked in the top ten best performing EU countries for road safety performance. An ETSC report dated 8 October this year found Dublin to be the best performing European capital in reducing road deaths.

On the matter of driving licences and learner drivers, following changes made in the regulations last October, the RSA and I made a commitment that all those on the waiting list on 30 October 2007, estimated to be 122,000 people, would be offered a test by mid-March 2008 and that by the end of June 2008, the waiting time for tests would be down to ten weeks. Both of these commitments were met and every effort will be made to maintain this in 2009.

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