Brian Walsh (Galway West, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to share my thoughts on this important legislation. It is a further signal of the Government's commitment to road safety and the reduction in the number of tragedies that, unfortunately, occur on the roads annually.

I commend the Minister and his departmental staff for the prompt manner in which they have brought this road traffic Bill before us. It is the second such Bill he has introduced during the short time he has been in office. I suppose that demonstrates his, and the Government's commitment to addressing road safety.

Some earlier contributors described the Bill as being a tidying-up exercise. It is more than that. There are two significant elements in it. The Bill gives the Garda additional powers in respect of the information they can gather at the scene of an accident or in a case where the garda is of the opinion that the driver is over the lower blood-alcohol limit. These measures are welcome because their effect will be to reduce the small number of offenders who, perhaps, are effectively cheating the system and getting away with the offence of drink driving due to technicalities that arise in the court. The second part of the Bill, its most important and significant part, is the reduction in the blood-alcohol limits from 80mg to 50mg and, in the case of learner drivers and professional drivers, to 20mg. Notwithstanding what Deputy Healy-Rae stated earlier, it is entirely appropriate that the Minister is introducing these measures and I commend him for the tough stance that he is taking.

I question why there is a lower limit for professional drivers. Perhaps we should aspire to zero tolerance in respect of those whose profession is driving. Taxi drivers and bus drivers have a duty of care to their passengers and there is also an onus on them to act in a responsible manner. Perhaps there is some obvious reason of which I am ignorant that we need a limit at all in respect of professional drivers. That is the only change that I would suggest in that regard.

It is fair to say that significant progress has been made in recent years in reducing the number of fatalities on Irish roads. We all welcome that. The number of lives lost has almost halved in the ten years to 2010, to its lowest level - 211 deaths - since records began. Already this year, unfortunately, 135 persons have been killed on the roads which represents a decrease of 16 compared to this time last year. It obviously remains the case that even one death is too many and the Government's continued commitment to improving road safety, and the introduction of this Bill, attests to that fact. Given the priority the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, clearly attaches to road safety, it is obvious that the Government is not becoming complacent on this issue.

We are quick on this side of the House to be critical of the previous Government's stewardship of the economy, and particularly its handling of fiscal issues. It is important on this occasion that we recognise the excellent work the previous Government did in the area of road safety in reducing the number of fatalities. Much credit is due to former Ministers, the late Mr. Séamus Brennan and Mr. Noel Dempsey, and others who worked diligently in this regard. The results are there to be seen and those to whom I refer deserve much credit for their efforts in the past.

I suppose the biggest reason there has been a reduction is that attitudes are changing. The acceptability of getting behind of the wheel after a few pints has been consigned to the past. Most of us will remember social occasions or perhaps trips to matches where the long journey was punctuated by a series of pit stops to a number of hostelries during which it was not out of place for the designated driver to indulge in a few points. Thankfully, mind sets and attitudes have changed, and that is very positive.

The work of the Road Safety Authority in reducing the number of fatalities must be acknowledged and its role in changing people's attitude also must be recognised.

See this speech in context