Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important Bill. Over the last 11 years, the country has seen a significant improvement in road safety. There are several reasons for this development. First, our road transport network has dramatically improved and new motorways and bypasses have significantly improved our accident rates. Second, this Government and the previous Administration have taken concerted action by introducing new legislation and seeking to change the national driving culture.

As the only engineer in the village that is the Dáil, I am particularly proud of the role civil engineers and transport planners played in improving the road infrastructure in recent decades. I will meet representatives of Engineers Ireland, of which I am a member, later today to discuss the role engineers can play in further improving transport infrastructure. Despite an increase in traffic volumes in recent years, the number of road traffic accidents has decreased. While transport infrastructure has been a key factor in this reduction, government has also played its part. Credit should be given where credit is due and the previous Government was not slow to act on road safety. It introduced penalty points for traffic violations and mandatory roadside alcohol testing checkpoints. The establishment of the Road Safety Authority in 2006 led to a co-ordinated campaign across the country to promote safe driving. Last year's Road Traffic Act provided for lowering of the drink driving limit from 0.08 mg to 0.05 mg and introduced a 0.02 mg limit for learner drivers. Like Deputy McConalogue, I congratulate the previous Minister, Mr. Noel Dempsey, on the work he did and commend him on sticking with the legislation. While some would argue this was a long time coming, the Minister was under pressure, as all of us would acknowledge, and stuck with the job by having the legislation passed. In the process, he did his country some service.

The reduction in the drink driving limit will have a considerable impact on road safety. Statistics show alcohol is a contributory factor in one in three fatal road accidents. The attitude of Irish people to drink is also maturing considerably, with 90% now of the view that drink driving is shameful. The shame associated with being caught drink driving helped make last year one of the safest years on record on our roads. In 2010, 212 fatalities were recorded which translates into lives having been saved in every county. In County Meath, we had six tragic deaths on the roads in 2010 compared to 30 road traffic fatalities in 2005. This improvement has been achieved through better transport infrastructure, tougher Garda interventions and, perhaps most important, communities in the county working together to reduce the number of deaths on the roads. Meath County Council has also been very active on road safety. In 2007, it hired an official with specific responsibility for road safety and developed a three year plan to address the issue, which included visits to schools, education of children, the provision of high visibility jackets and reflective armbands and cycling training. These activities have helped to ensure road safety has improved and the county council is progressing its 2010 to 2012 road safety plan.

Improvements can also be made at national level. On infrastructure, for example, some have argued that the Minister should prioritise certain public transport schemes. We must be acutely aware that limited funding is available and ensure that any new transport scheme delivers in terms of a cost-benefit analysis. I will cite one local example, namely, the proposed Slane bypass, which will provide better access to the north west for the constituents of Deputies McHugh and McConalogue. The bypass will improve road safety and has a cost-benefit ratio of 3:1 compared to some public transport schemes which have cost-benefit ratios of perhaps 1:1 when realistic calculations are made. While I recognise that the Minister has a difficult role in allocating scarce funds for transport infrastructure, he should bear in mind that Deputies from across the House are realistic about the limitations he faces and they are keen to ensure any investment delivers value for money. We will stand alongside the Minister when he makes his decision.

Better road signage is required to ensure people know where they are going, particularly those who may not be familiar with their surroundings. Action is also required on speed limits. In recent years, the speed limit had been reduced to 60 kph on some national routes which were designed for speeds of up to 100 kph and on which it was safe to travel at that speed. I ask the Minister to commission an audit on all national routes on which the speed limit has been reduced by 30% over the past five years. The audit should address the reasons for the reduction and include an analysis of the purported benefits of the reduction. The decision to reduce speed limits has been counterproductive in some cases because drivers become angry and impatient with the lower and possibly unnecessary speed limits. Some of the decisions need to be re-evaluated. I am pleased to support the legislation and hope it will result in further reductions in road deaths.

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