Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is right in the sense that the traffic corps has been depleted and has been too low. As a result, it has not been up to the efficiency we sought in apprehending people for committing the offences to which I referred, such as speeding, drink-driving, using mobile telephones and driving without safety belts. The Deputy is also correct that the number fell back to a level which would now be considered unacceptable. I will return to the figures momentarily but I wish to reassure the Deputy that this is the primary issue and one of the reasons we hold quarterly meetings of the ministerial group on road safety, which has representatives of all the key stakeholders of the Garda, the Medical Bureau of Road Safety, my Department, the Department of Justice and Equality and everybody else who is relevant. The first question asked is not just about the road death figures but also about the figures for enforcement. The Deputy is correct that the number fell behind but according to the figures I have it is now catching up. It will have fully caught up by the end of the year.

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