Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Tragically, we have seen more than 60 deaths on our roads so far this year, each one a human tragedy for those involved. Those figures exclude those injured or maimed in accidents. Clearly, we need to see more action on this. More gardaí and policing are crucial, as are more evidence-based policies and planning to improve road safety.

I wish to raise a specific concern I have. The Road Safety Authority has not been able to share road traffic collision data with councils for six years, apparently due to GDPR concerns.

I understand that tonight on "Prime Time" we will hear experts describe local authority road engineering teams, which cannot see crucial information when making key decisions on road improvements, as effectively shooting in the dark because they cannot access this information. My colleague Duncan Smith and I have been raising this issue about data with the Minister for Transport for years now. It is incredible that it took until 2022 before the RSA even contacted the Data Protection Commissioner on this issue.

What will the Tánaiste and his Government do about this issue to ensure we can see proper sharing of data to ensure evidence-based decisions on crucial aspects of road safety improvement? We know it is a contributing factor in so many of these human tragedies on our roads.

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