Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

Some 92 people have been tragically killed on Irish roads so far this year. There had been 85 tragic road deaths by the same time last year. There have been 88 fatal collisions on Irish roads to date in 2012, compared with 76 fatal collisions during the same period in 2011. Tragically, seven people lost their lives on roads across the island of Ireland over the last June bank holiday weekend. Over the past decade, massive progress has been made in reducing the horrific carnage on our roads. In 2011, there were 186 deaths on Irish roads in comparison with 396 deaths in 2005. This does not include the accompanying number of devastating injuries, which can extend the suffering of families and individuals for decades.

An earlier analysis of road death figures highlighted that approximately 4,500 people died on Irish roads between 1996 and 2006, which exceeded the horrific death toll throughout the Troubles. Since the number of road deaths hit an appalling 396 in 2005, the number of road deaths has decreased to 365 in 2006; 338 in 2007; 279 in 2008; 238 in 2009; 212 in 2010; and 186 in 2011. The Road Safety Authority, which is outstandingly led by its chief executive, Mr. Noel Brett, and its chairman, Mr. Gay Byrne, has done an outstanding job on the road safety front during this period. Great campaigning road safety groups like PARC, which is based in County Donegal and is led by Ms Susan Grey and Ms Donna Price, have also played an major role in driving the road safety agenda.

One death on the roads each year is a death too many. Therefore, it is disturbing that the road death figures are inching up again. I understand that a new road safety strategy, to run from 2013 to 2020, is being prepared. The current strategy will end this year. Given the distressing rise in road deaths this year, I suggest that a reinvigorated road safety and enforcement campaign is needed now to prevent any further deterioration of the figures. One of the key lessons from other jurisdictions that have maintained good road safety records, such as Sweden, is that complacency cannot be allowed to set in. High levels of enforcement and continuous enhancement of road safety standards must be maintained on an ongoing basis if we are not to allow road deaths and injuries to increase steadily again.

Given the need for continuous high levels of enforcement, grave concerns have been raised about the impact of current Garda cutbacks on road safety. It has been reported that 300 Garda patrol cars have been taken off the road this year. If that is true, it would be the highest number in years. The Minister, Deputy Shatter, told me last week that "on 31 December 2011 there were 375 vehicles allocated to the Garda traffic corps and there were 316 vehicles allocated to the traffic corps as at 1 June 2012". Some 337 gardaí volunteered to retire in the period up to February 2012. How many of them have left the traffic corps? What is the current number of personnel in the traffic corps? It seems to be difficult to obtain this information.

Has the new Garda roster had any impact on the traffic corps? It has been alleged that the introduction of the new roster has had a significantly negative impact on the operation of the traffic corps. Road safety groups like PARC have expressed serious concern about the impact of cutbacks on the level of general and mandatory alcohol testing checkpoints and on the number of breath tests being taken and tested. The Medical Bureau of Road Safety has reported a 20% decrease in the number of tests sent to it last year and in the previous year. It looks like less testing is taking place.

PARC has also highlighted the inexplicable delay in bringing on stream the 22 extra intoxilysers that were requested by the Garda last October to facilitate the lower drink driving limits. Some 86 intoxilysers were deemed necessary but only 64 were installed. Can the Minister confirm when the 22 missing intoxilysers will be made available to the Garda by the Medical Bureau of Road Safety, having been tested and approved by the bureau in 2011? Why is it not standard procedure for the Department of Justice and Equality to facilitate the training of all gardaí in the use of intoxilysers, or at least to ensure there is a garda on every Garda roster, or in every Garda station, who is trained in the use of these devices? It is unacceptable that the budget of the Road Safety Authority, which is based in Ballina, has been subjected to serious cutbacks. High standards of road safety cannot be maintained if key monitoring, testing and enforcement agencies are not properly resourced.

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