Cecilia Keaveney (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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It gives me no pleasure to discuss the issue of road safety on the basis that I come from an area which has endured a significant number of roads deaths over the past 18 months. Deputy Mulcahy said one life lost is one too many. If Deputies had attended as many corpse houses of young people under the age of 23 or 24 as I have, it would focus minds on the fact we all have a responsibility to ensure all those on the roads at the same time as us are safe. In one sense, I am delighted to get the opportunity to speak on this issue but it raises the question for me and for the many people in my constituency who are grieving having lost someone and wondering what we could have done to prevent these deaths. If events have had one result, they have focused people's minds in my area on that question. I do not believe any one approach or any one Government will provide a solution to this issue. We must take a broader approach. We probably need pilot schemes in particular areas.

An issue which is not helping is the fact the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government deals with certain roads while the Department of Transport deals with others. I tried to get fluorescent bands placed around the base of traffic islands so that if the lights failed for whatever reason, the car light would reflect on the band. Each time I asked the Department of Transport, I was told it was the responsibility of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and when I asked that Department, I was told it was up to the county councils. Each county council has the right to make a decision in that regard. There is also the question of whether roads funding and other issues relating to roads should be the responsibility of one Department instead of being split between at least two Departments. Perhaps that would result in a better focus.

The recent speed limit changes have resulted in speed limits on some roads being too high while being too low on other roads. The speed limits are not realistic. There should be some way to expedite the process whereby roads, particularly on which speed limits are the equivalent of 50 km/h, are brought back to 60 km/h where appropriate conditions are met. There is no point looking for the traffic corps to implement speed limits which are unrealistic.

I welcome the recent assignment of a traffic corps to my peninsula. I am glad it is focusing on the real issues. On its first weekend, it caught seven drunk drivers. People must know they will be caught. However, that is not the only issue. There is no point always going out with a big stick. People must have a sense of responsibility. When we are driving, our passengers and ourselves must feel safe and other drivers must get a sense that we respect ourselves and others. Car safety programmes are in place in Sweden, an issue I will raise with the Departments of Transport, the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Education and Science. A successful programme is being run in Sweden on passenger safety with the intention of awarding passenger licences. It is aimed at primary schools so that as children are growing they develop a better understanding of the implications of speeding and carelessness on the road. We should consider such novel programmes adopted by other countries in the context of road safety.

Drink and drug driving must constantly be tackled. My committee had a debate on the increasing use of drugs earlier. If fatalities or serious injury are caused by a road crash, the drivers involved should be mandatorily breath tested. Advanced driving courses are needed. While the cost of car insurance has decreased, which is welcome given the difficulties experienced by young drivers, insurance should be used to encourage people to improve their driving on the basis that if they drive well, their premia will be reduced. That is a carrot as opposed to a big stick. More interaction is needed between the Garda and our youth on the issue of responsible driving. Driving lessons for transition year students on school grounds have been suggested. They can learn to drive in a confined, safe environment and develop good driving practices. Designated safe areas for young people to drive at speed have also been suggested so that they can get their adrenaline rush. Young people driving dangerously in souped up cars is a desperate problem and they are a danger to other drivers. The Department of Transport should be responsible for all roads issues.

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate. I am sad and disappointed that 326 people have lost their lives on our roads so far this year. I know a number of the victims and their families. Numbers can be cold because they do not adequately reflect the significant suffering families endure. I recently visited the family of a 16 year old girl in my area who was the victim of a hit and run accident. No words can adequately express the grief the family is experiencing. However, in addition to the fatalities, a significant number of people have also suffered horrific, life changing injuries and they must also be considered.

While the annual number of fatalities on our roads increased from 335 in 2003 to 374 last year, as Deputy Mulcahy stated, it must be borne in mind that there is an ever increasing number of vehicles on the roads. Approximately 1,000 new vehicles are put on the road weekly. The introduction of the penalty points system resulted in a radical change in driver behaviour and attitudes and this led to the reduction in road fatalities in 2003, which was the lowest number for 40 years. While the number increased last year, it did not increase to the level experienced in the late 1990s. For example, there were 452 fatalities in 1997 and 458 in 1998, despite the increasing number of cars on our roads.

Perhaps we should examine a number of factors that have contributed to the improvement. The penalty points system has had a beneficial effect. The safety standard of new motor cars is improving all the time with new cars having more safety features. The national car test ensures older cars are better looked after. Many roads have been improved considerably in recent years and awareness and education campaigns have had a positive effect. Garda activity has increased with the establishment of the traffic corps being particularly welcome.

The question is often asked during debates on road safety about whether additional speed cameras would be a deterrent. I am a member of the Committee of Public Accounts and approximately one year ago we had an interesting meeting with officials of the Department of Transport and members of the Garda. We examined the operation of the existing speed camera system and one of the committee's clear findings was that the high visibility of mobile Garda patrols was beneficial. The committee was of the opinion that such patrols were the greatest deterrent. I am particularly pleased, therefore, that the Garda traffic corps, which was only established one year ago, will increase in size rapidly over the next number of years. By the end of this year, it is expected to comprise 563 members and it will comprise 805 by the end of 2006, which I welcome.

I have a reservation about the effectiveness of the GATSO vans used by the Garda. They often pull in beside main roads picking on soft targets. Garda enforcement should be targeted more at secondary roads, which are not designed to be driven on at high speeds, yet cars are driven at the speed limit of 100 km/h or above on these roads. Garda resources should be targeted at these roads. Other Members mentioned that local authorities have conducted reviews of speed limits and I agree they are still out of line with the standard of the roads. I visited County Cavan recently and travelled on a secondary road with a speed limit of 100 km/h. However, when I met an oncoming car, I had to pull into the ditch because there was not enough room for two cars. Appropriate speed limits and adequate enforcement are needed. The Garda concentrates too much on main roads when enforcing traffic laws. Many road accidents involving younger drivers take place at night on secondary roads where they drive at high speeds. The Garda needs to be more targeted in its approach.

The number of road fatalities in recent years indicates the introduction of penalty points had a significant initial impact but, like many other initiatives, its impact has waned. The extension of the penalty points system must be accompanied with education and public awareness campaigns if it is to continue to have the effect it had when it was introduced.

Jim Glennon (Dublin North, Fianna Fail)
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Like my colleagues, while I am glad to have an opportunity to contribute on this important topic, it does not give me satisfaction to have to deal with it. I am interested in the number of road fatalities in recent years. In 2003 there were 335 deaths on the road, compared to 472 in 1997. When one takes into account the number of additional vehicles on the road over that period the statistic is particularly striking. Any death from negligence is unacceptable but our task as legislators is to ensure the least possible number of deaths on the roads.

It is significant that the introduction of penalty points in 2003 coincided with the least number of deaths. Penalties are the key to this issue and penalty points prove that. I do not agree with Deputy Curran on high-visibility Garda presence. The primary function of gardaí is investigating accidents rather than preventing them. Penalties are the means of prevention. Random breath testing for all drugs, including alcohol, cannot be introduced quickly enough. As a member of the Committee on Transport I look forward to discussions in a few weeks between the Minister for Transport and the Opposition spokespersons on the introduction of random breath testing. I hope it will be introduced for all drugs including alcohol, which tends to be overlooked but must be dealt with.

More stringent penalties must be considered and a system of impounding and confiscating vehicles after accidents must be examined. We must consider mandatory sentencing for certain offences and, in some instances, the removal of the option of suspension of sentences. Yesterday, a large proportion of a sentence was suspended and suspended sentences do not appear to have the deterrent impact on the public that good sentencing should have. We must examine this beyond road traffic offences. Many constituents have made suggestions on the leniency of the Judiciary in road traffic offences, such as dangerous driving or technical offences involving tax or insurance. Inconsistency and leniency exist in respect of these.

I congratulate a constituent of mine who has fought a long campaign on the evil of drunken driving, Ms Gertie Shields. She is the chairperson of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Ms Shields suffered a personal loss that drove her to involvement in this campaign. She is not involved in the politics of the most recent tragedy. Her campaign is ongoing as ours should be.

Peter Kelly (Longford-Roscommon, Fianna Fail)
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This has been an interesting debate on an important subject. Despite the recent upsurge in road deaths, I congratulate the Minister and his Department on the marked improvement in road safety. The culture has started to change. Since the introduction of the first national road safety strategy, 1997-98, a change has taken place. Death and carnage on the roads was costing the country a significant amount of money and was taking a toll on families and individuals. I express my sympathy to all bereaved families. It is very sad to learn of road deaths.

In the past, injury and death was a common occurrence. Every morning brought news of two or three accidents and something had to be done. The initiative was taken by the previous Administration in publishing the road safety strategy in 1997-98. The downward trend of deaths and injuries over past years is proof that a co-ordinated, strategic, properly-funded approach to the education of road users, the design of roads and traffic calming measures, strong enforcement of legislation and ongoing monitoring and research can make travel safe for all road users.

We are all road users, using footpaths and roadways. It is in everybody's interest that measures are taken to prevent accidents. The current Government and the previous one led the way in the introduction of a dedicated Department of Transport. Raising public awareness is essential in changing attitudes. As we have seen in the campaigns on drink driving, seat belt use and other issues, a well constructed advertising and education campaign, supported by good legislation and strong enforcement, alters the population's attitude.

One's speed, route and destination are matters of choice and people must take responsibility for their actions. This message has been received over the years and an illustration of the cultural change has been the use of seat belts. For many years, taxi drivers, bus drivers and others in similar occupations would not consider using seat belts. The introduction of rules, making it mandatory to wear a seat belt, has worked despite widespread objections from those who suggested it would not work and would require too much monitoring.

Despite recent figures the trend on our roads is one of a steady decline in the number of collisions and injuries. According to independent opinion, fatalities and serious injuries fell significantly in 1998, 1999 and 2002 following the introduction of new road traffic measures. The level of fatalities in 2003 was the lowest since 1964. These decreases coincided with a quadrupling of the number of drivers and vehicles. When the economy started to recover there was a noticeable upsurge in the number of people driving cars. In Ballymahon and Longford town in my constituency I used to see one car parked outside each house. Nowadays I see two, three or four cars parked in the driveways. Given an upsurge in road use it is logical that the number of accidents will increase. Recent measures take this trend into account and the strategy planned for 2004-06 goes further in underpinning them.

We must maintain the progress that has been made thus far. I congratulate the Government on the investment it has made in improving the roads system. This year an additional €34 million is being invested in our non-national roads. Driving around the country, as most of us do in the course of our work, one cannot escape the noticeable improvements in the road network. Clearly, much work needs to be done on secondary rural roads, but significant strides have been made. The Department of Transport, in conjunction with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the local authorities, has made significant progress and should be congratulated on doing so.

Joe Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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I am advised that the Technical Group has a 20-minute slot and it is up to its Members to share that time.

Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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That is correct. I wish to share time with Deputies McHugh, Connolly, Gormley and Crowe.

Joe Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Is that agreed? Agreed.

Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Despite what the previous speaker said, it is probably true to say that in this country the most dangerous place to be is in a car on our roads. I cannot think of any more dangerous place. I want to focus on the issue of road accidents involving heavy trucks. I understand that following all road accidents, the Garda Síochána forwards detailed reports to the National Roads Authority and each local authority to establish accident causes and trends. As well as using these reports, it would be a useful exercise to commission a separate study into accidents involving trucks and to make recommendations based on the findings. I am focusing on trucks for a specific reason. If a car is hit by a heavy truck the strong likelihood is that there will be fatalities and horrific injuries. The fatalities will almost always be among the passengers or driver of the more vulnerable vehicle, namely the car. The truck driver will be either slightly injured or, as we hear so often in news reports of such horrific accidents, suffering from shock.

We are told that in the region of 15% of fatal road accidents involve trucks. However, what percentage of all accidents involving trucks result in fatalities or serious injuries? I expect the percentage is very high. Despite that, however, it may surprise many road users that the rules of the road specify a speed limit of 80 km/h or 50 mph for trucks and coaches. How many of us see trucks travelling at less than 50 mph? The fact that trucks, which are lethal weapons, ignore these speed limits is a scandal. It is also a scandal that to some degree this problem is being swept under the carpet.

Many people in control of trucks drive recklessly, irresponsibly and far faster than is permitted or safe for other road users. If they are involved in a road accident, however, the odds are that they will not be injured unless they are unlucky enough to be hit by a heavier truck.

There is a need to establish the facts concerning truck driving in this country, to discover whether trucks keep within speed limits and whether the law is rigorously enforced. We must ascertain whether additional measures are needed to ensure that the number of people who die or are injured as a result of accidents involving trucks can be reduced.

Paddy McHugh (Galway East, Independent)
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This motion is welcome. In addressing road safety, the House must have regard to the dangers posed to school children in this regard. It is nothing short of scandalous that school children's lives are being put at risk every day by motorists speeding past schools on primary, secondary, regional and country roads. As matters stands, such drivers can legally fly past schools at speeds of up to 100 km/h, which is approximately 63 mph. It takes 80 yards for a vehicle to come to a halt when travelling at 100 km/h on a dry surface. The corresponding distance is 137 yards on a wet road. It is difficult to control children at the best of times due to their youthful exuberance. It is extremely irresponsible to allow uncontrolled speeding to continue outside national schools where children congregate and interact in a robust manner.

In my constituency, a school may be located across the road from sporting facilities, which further endangers the lives of school children. It is frightening for groups of children to have to cross a main road from their school to a football pitch when motorists are travelling at up to 100 km/h. I can imagine no other country where a Government, particularly a Minister for Transport would allow the lives of school children to be put at risk in such a callous manner. Nonetheless, it appears that this reckless situation will not be dealt with immediately. This is because measures to ensure the safety of our school children are delayed to allow designers to produce new road signs.

A circular has been issued by the Department to local authorities informing them that a standardised sign is being designed. Consequently, local authorities will have to wait for the new design to be unveiled before manufacturers can start to produce the road signs. While awaiting the arrival of the new signs, our school children's lives are put at risk. There is no justification for further procrastination. I urge the Minister to ensure that local authorities can proceed immediately to create controlled speeding zones outside national schools.

Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Following the introduction of penalty points approximately two years ago, there was an immediate and welcome reduction in the number of fatal and non-fatal road casualties. This was clearly attributable to the fear of enforcement, financial penalties and increased insurance costs, but when people realised that there was no visible element of enforcement and they could flout the law, the numbers rose again. Laws must be seen to be enforced. If a deranged person continually went into shopping centres at the weekend and shot five or six people while injuring many others, there would be an outcry. In the case of road accidents, however, there has been a meek acceptance of what is happening. When it comes to car crashes, people seem to think, "But for the grace of God, there go I". That is the prevalent attitude. At bank holiday weekends, gardaí maintain high visibility checkpoints. They advise us not to drink and drive, yet each holiday weekend brings its own degree of tragedy on the roads.

There are well-known methods for reducing fatalities on the roads and if they can work in other countries there is no reason they cannot be used here. For example, the authorities in New Zealand operate a driver curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., which has reduced road accidents. If that measure can have such a dramatic effect in New Zealand we should consider employing that and other ideas that have been tried and test abroad.

People may experience difficulties finding a taxi to drive them home after attending a social function. Members of my family have had to wait for up to two hours for a taxi and considered themselves lucky when one arrived. People can also be stranded when roads are icy or foggy. Recently, a judge in Monaghan said he was considering not granting late night extensions to premises unless they could prove that a taxi service was available to take people home from such functions. It is unacceptable that late night extensions are granted willy-nilly without provision being made for people to return home safely.

We must examine road signs in the context of the recent changes from miles to kilometres per hour. A speed limit of 80 km/h is in force on some side roads. One can drive at 80 km/h on those roads where there is only space for two bicycles to meet. One is in danger walking on them as pedestrians regularly have to stand into the ditch. The speed limits on these roads should be lowered. It gives some people a thrill to drive at 80 km/h on a narrow road fit only for single lane traffic.

In Castleblaney two people were killed crossing the road because they fell into the blind spot of a lorry. We should proactively cover these blind spots, whether by using sensors on lorries or whatever. These factors should be urgently examined because they cause death and will continue to do so.

There are other anomalies, for example, in the workplace one's skills would occasionally be tested but one gets a driving licence when one is 17 years old that serves for a lifetime. There should be test periods. The only test period applies when one loses one's licence and has to re-sit the driving test.

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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On 11 October last I asked the Tánaiste why two years on from a promise given by the then Minister for Transport, Deputy Brennan, random breath testing had not been introduced. In her reply the Tánaiste said "there are complex reasons for the difficulties in this matter". The current Minister for Transport, Deputy Cullen, added "There are constitutional issues to consider". Since then he has told the Joint Committee on Transport that he is committed to the Government's road safety strategy pledge to introduce random testing by the end of 2006 but insists that the legislation must be legally sound and have all party support.

I ask the Minister of State to stop the delaying tactics. There are no difficulties on this side of the House, in the same way as there were no difficulties in respect of the ban on smoking in the workplace. The Government had total support, and it has full and unequivocal support from the Green Party and the other Opposition parties to introduce random breath testing.

The Government should stop making excuses and introduce this measure which will save hundreds of lives. The facts speak for themselves: 33% of all fatal collisions are associated with alcohol consumption. Some 89% of blood and urine assessments, and 81% of breath specimens analysed in 2003 by the medical bureau of road safety were above the alcohol limit for driving. This suggests that many people are driving who are over the limit.

When random breath testing was introduced in Victoria, Australia it was an outstanding success and prevented many accidents associated with alcohol. That state has witnessed a dramatic reduction in drivers killed: in 1987, 49% of all drivers killed there were found to be in excess of the alcohol limit but in 1992 that number had been halved. The evidence exists.

The Minister of State could this evening pass by a large pub whose car park is full of vehicles. We know that people are consuming alcohol then getting into their cars. If we introduce random breath testing that practice would end and there would be a dramatic reduction in fatalities. That is what must be done. Diageo and other members of the drink industry support random breath testing. Let us forget the pretence. There is no opposition on this side of the House. We will support the Government on this.

I can hardly hear myself speak because people in the front row are speaking.

Gay Mitchell (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am listening to the Deputy.

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Maybe co-operation on the Opposition benches is not as good as the Deputy expected.

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The Minister of State will see our full co-operation.

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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We agree with everything the Deputy says.

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I thank the Deputy.

Cycling has not been mentioned but in this city it is extremely dangerous. Transport 21 has not addressed the difficulties that we cyclists must face daily. Many parents will not allow their children cycle to school for obvious reasons. Cycling must at some stage become not just a leisure pursuit but a means of transport, if we are to deal with many problems including global warming.

The Government must make cycling safe. There are too many fatalities. I have lost too many colleagues and friends in cycling accidents. One talks about the dangers when a truck and car collide but a cyclist has no chance in a collision. I urge the Minister of State to make cycling safe.

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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The immediate establishment of a road safety authority is probably the most pressing of the proposals in this motion. It would exercise ultimate authority and responsibility for measures and policies in respect of road safety. The current system seems to be confused between the Department of Transport, the National Roads Authority and local authorities. When something goes wrong it is not clear who, if anybody, is responsible or will do anything about it.

A recent accident argues the need for this road safety authority starkly. A year ago a young woman was killed in a road accident on the N59 in County Mayo. The events before and after this accident illustrate the problems arising, unless responsibility for implementation and enforcement are clearly defined and under the remit of one body. The stretch of road where the accident happened had only a base course, lacking the essential surface dressing which provides grip and prevents skidding. Despite NRA guidelines which mandate that no white line can be laid until the surface dressing is applied and where the speed limit exceeds 50 km/h, a white line was laid.

An accident was sure to happen on this stretch of road with a speed limit of 100 km/h. Prior to the fatal accident there was a non-fatal crash, mirroring the circumstances of the later accident but no action appears to have been taken. The road continued to be used at 100 km/h with no signs to warn motorists, resulting in a tragedy that could have been avoided.

Despite the absence of signs and warnings, Mayo County Council subsequently claimed this was an unfinished stretch of road, which is questionable given the presence of the white lines and the NRA regulations on these. The NRA seems to use this claim as a reason not to get involved. The Health and Safety Authority when consulted refused to become involved, on the basis that no builders' vans or other machinery was present and the road was therefore not a workplace. Any inquiries to the Department of Transport yielded the standard response, namely, that the Minister had no responsibility for this matter as it fell under the remit of the local authority.

This is the strange case of a road that was not quite a road, a completed road that was not completed and work in progress that was not a workplace. It would be funny were it not so tragic. Without wishing to prejudge the report on the Meath school bus tragedy, which has been withheld, similar issues to those I have raised here were mentioned in that inquiry.

To ensure international best practice on our roads in all areas we need a single agency where the buck stops. As long as there is a multi-agency approach with no clear definition of responsibility, issues will continue to be kicked from pillar to post, delays will occur, mistakes will not be rectified and avoidable tragedies will continue to occur. Surely the families of accident victims have enough with which to deal without being sent to different agencies. I support tonight's motion in calling for the immediate introduction of a road safety authority.

Gay Mitchell (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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I wish to share time with Deputies Kehoe, Enright, McGinley and Deenihan.

Each year more then 40,000 deaths are caused by road traffic accidents in the EU and, in addition to this unacceptable human suffering, there are substantial direct and indirect costs which have been estimated at €180 billion or 2% of EU GNP.

This is particularly important while the road safety standards and practices in the new member states are considerably lower than in the EU 15. Fine Gael MEPs in the European Parliament voted in favour of the own-initiative report of our French colleague Ari Vatanen in Strasbourg in September and the subsequent resolution that cross-border enforcement of road traffic law remains very unsatisfactory.

The discrepancies in the highway code between the Republic and Northern Ireland should be of particular relevance to the Government in this regard. Northern Ireland uses the miles per hour unit of measurement while we have recently converted to kilometres. The symbols and signs used in Ireland are almost identical to those in the North, as both jurisdictions have adopted the original British highway code almost directly. I am glad to see the operation of a penalty points system in the North, but what will the Government do to encourage the integration and mutual recognition of the two systems in order to promote cross border road safety? Bilateral action with Northern Ireland on this issue should be a priority. Legal adjustments would be necessary but surely the integration of both systems would not be a very costly task.

The European Parliament made a number of other very rational and original recommendations. The need for a European framework for safe infrastructure management is one point of interest for us in Ireland. Considering the huge overruns and mismanagement of many road projects which have been a feature of the Government's term in office, I would welcome a framework directive that would ensure Irish taxpayers enjoy the highest possible standards of road safety. The European Parliament resolution also called for the setting up of expert networks enabling the exchange of "best in Europe" approaches to safe road design and management.

There are four motor technologies that we must consider priorities in our fight to end carnage on the roads. The first involves seat belt reminders and advanced restraint systems. The second is electronic stability control or ESC as it is commonly known. International research is unanimous that the lifesaving potential of ESC is enormous. It is an electronic mechanism that compares a driver's intended course with the vehicle's actual movement, and if instability is detected, ESC can automatically apply brake and reduce engine torque.

The third technology involves speed limitation systems including intelligent speed adaption, ISA. This is a system which, with the use of an in-vehicle digital road map on to which speed limits have been coded, is aware of the permitted or recommended speed for any particular road. Research in Scandinavian countries has shown that the use of ISA could reduce crashes by around 35%. Finally, eCall, an emergency call generated manually by vehicle occupants or automatically via activation of in-vehicle sensors when an accident occurs, has the potential to greatly reduce the number of fatalities and injuries as well as stress in post-crash situations.

Some of these new ideas may be known to the House or to the Minister. I raise them for two good reasons. The figure for deaths on the roads so far this year is around 380. Three times as many people have died on the roads as died in Northern Ireland in the same 30-year period. That is a shocking indictment. When we think of all we did to help solve the Northern Ireland problem, which had to be done, we need to do something similar about deaths on the road. We must look at new ideas — if not the ones I mentioned, then others.

I ask the Minister of State to address one issue in particular when replying. I understand that the statistics of the community road accident database show that on average the number of males killed on our roads is almost triple the number of women. What specific measures is the Government taking to encourage a greater culture of safe driving among men in Ireland, particularly among young men? What can we learn from this and what emphasis is the Minister of State putting on this aspect?

I commend my colleague, Deputy Olivia Mitchell, for tabling this motion. A British Government study recently discovered that around 20% of accidents on long journeys on truck roads and motorways are caused by fatigue. Now that we have motorways, we must address these issues. We must approach this in a different way.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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It seems that my party raises the issue of road safety every year. The Government has done nothing about it. The proof is that the number of road accidents and the numbers killed on our roads have increased rather than decreased. The numbers of young people under 30 being killed on the roads increases every year. The Government is not getting the message and is not trying to solve the problem.

I will give an example of the NRA and a county council at loggerheads over placing road signage. In my constituency this morning an articulated lorry overturned at a roundabout. This is the tenth lorry in recent months to have overturned on this roundabout going into Rosslare harbour. This is a major problem at that location. I was told this evening that although most of the accidents which take place there involve lorries from overseas with overseas drivers, Wexford County Council cannot put up signs in European languages at the approaches to the roundabout. The council has been told that it will take four to five months before the NRA can give it permission to erect any sort of warning signage.

This is a scandalous situation involving two State bodies, the NRA and the council, at loggerheads, trying to come up with some form of safety solution and unable to do so. I call on the Minister of State to give a satisfactory answer on why a solution cannot be found. It might save lives. There are many similar locations across the country.

We must consider the numbers of European drivers visiting Ireland, especially over the summer months. There are very few European road safety signs on our roads. We must be proactive. The many drivers who come here from France, Germany, Italy and other countries must be catered for, just as they cater for us in their countries. I ask the Minister of State to look into this as a matter of urgency.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important issue which unfortunately is not being sufficiently recognised and dealt with.

The quick responses to terrible accidents which we have seen in some areas are not enough. There is a lack of Garda visibility on our roads. It is clear to anyone who travels the road that Garda presence is very hit and miss. We go through periods of great action as we did during the past two or three weeks. Several people have said that to me recently. We also go through long periods of inaction when Garda visibility is very poor.

As far as I know, there is no law with regard to the visibility of pedestrians requiring them to wear a yellow jacket or arm-band for example. I would like the Minister of State to take the issue on board. If there is a law, I would like to see it implemented, and if not, legislation must be introduced. Pedestrians walking on unlit, dark, wet roads primarily place themselves at risk. This is a particular problem in rural areas where at any hour one can come across someone walking in the dark and invisible until the last moment. That is also a risk to the driver of a car and to other road users, as the driver will swerve if he or she sees someone only at the last minute. This needs to be dealt with and would not cost a fortune. It could have a very good outcome if we concentrated on it.

Last year, the Minister for Transport missed an opportunity to do something about speed limits outside schools. The limits should be compulsorily reduced by way of national legislation rather than leaving it to individual local authorities. If there are cases to be made — though I believe they would be very few — outside particular schools for whatever reasons, a local authority might be allowed change the speed limit, but in general the limits should be reduced as a matter of urgency. Many schools have raised this issue with me. Local authorities sometimes do not even review the local speed limits once a year. They have to consult the Garda, give public notice, enter discussion and so on. It is a very slow process, and while it is ongoing children's lives are at risk.

Why has there been a delay in the penalty points enactment, with only four of the 69 areas earmarked for points enacted to date? As gardaí claim that they have difficulties with the system, the fault seems to lie on the other side of the House. Significant cultural changes are needed in this area.

While the absence of statistics on excessive consumption of alcohol by people killed in car accidents means that I must rely on anecdotal evidence to make my points, discussions with young people indicate that drink driving is taboo to the majority of them. However, I would like to know how many of the young people who died over the past few years had alcohol in their systems. Two issues that need to be addressed with regard to young people are speeding and drivers who over-estimate their abilities. A more visible Garda presence will cause people to behave differently out of fear of being caught.

The delay in driver testing hinders the resolution of these problems. Significant delays are experienced at each of the three test centres located in my constituency. Almost 50% of those who take driving tests fail, which means they are not safe drivers. However, we allow them to return to the roads. Immediate reforms are needed to the system, including the regulation of driving instructors and, as was called for by Deputy Gay Mitchell, improvements in the structure of the driving test. Those failing the test need to learn their errors because it is nonsense to send them away without informing them why they failed. I ask the Minister of State to consider these issues.

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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It is timely, opportune and appropriate that we are discussing this motion and I thank Deputy Olivia Mitchell for bringing it forward. I hope that Members will forgive me for confining my remarks to the disturbing number of fatal accidents experienced recently in my county. Tragically, the people of County Donegal have become accustomed to waking up on Saturday and Sunday mornings to news reports of serious and often fatal accidents in different parts of the county involving young people in cars or pedestrians or cyclists.

An examination of the past year will reveal a litany of terrible accidents. Most recently, 8 and 9 October was a black weekend for County Donegal, with the tragic deaths of five young people, most of whom were teenagers, on the Inishowen peninsula. Not long before that, on a Sunday afternoon in September, three people lost their lives in a road accident near Ballintra in the south of the county, of whom one was a close friend of mine.

To date this year, 26 people in County Donegal have lost their lives in road accidents. In 2004, the figure was 30. With two months left of this year, there is no guarantee that we will not reach last year's disastrous levels. How can one explain that almost 10% of road fatalities in this country occur in County Donegal? Serious questions need to be answered as to why the level of road deaths is so high in a county which accounts for 3.5% of the total population. Every part of the county has been affected by this waste of young lives. Families and communities have been shocked and traumatised by the needless loss of lives.

County Donegal's Border location is a contributing factor to the slaughter on its roads. Some reckless drivers from Northern Ireland cross the Border and indulge in speeding without fear of penalties for infringements of safety regulations and the same is probably true for those who go from the Republic to Northern Ireland. Harmonisation of policy on both sides of the Border is of critical importance. I concur with the comments made by my colleague, Deputy Gay Mitchell, on this matter. A discrepancy exists between kilometres on this side and miles on the other and points given in Northern Ireland are not recorded in the South.

Gardaí in the county are doing their best with limited resources but they cannot counteract by themselves the culture of living dangerously which seems to have convinced many young people that they are invincible. The prevalence of mobile telephones means that young people have a sophisticated communications system at their disposal to avoid gardaí and engage in handbrake turns and doughnuts with virtual impunity. Gardaí need the support and help of the entire community. Public co-operation is crucial in ending the epidemic of road deaths in Donegal.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Ireland has 2.2 million licensed drivers out of a population of 4 million. Approximately 350,000 of these drivers possess provisional licenses, which is one of the reasons for the high fatality rate on our roads. In 2003, 335 people were killed on Irish roads and the figure for this year is 380, as well as 3,000 injuries.

I would like to refer to the issue of speed cameras and hope that the Minister of State will respond. The 100 private speed cameras which were promised in the 1998 road safety strategy did not materialise. These cameras were again promised in the road safety strategy for 2004 to 2004. The legislation needed to allow for the outsourcing of speed cameras to private operators has been promised for next year. Will the Minister of State indicate whether the necessary provisions will be introduced? By the time the legislation is enacted, two national road safety strategies will have passed without the complete roll-out of the 100 cameras promised in 1998. It has been demonstrated in the UK, France and Australia that speed cameras are effective in reducing road fatalities. They have been very successful in the state of Victoria in Australia.

A motorcyclist is 17 times more likely to be killed in a road traffic accident than a car driver and one dies every week on Irish roads, yet the Government has not delivered on its promise to introduce compulsory basic training for motorcyclists. It is important to make young people aware of the risks of this activity.

The numbers of motorists who are suspected of driving under the influence of drugs has increased by 30% in 2005 but no system is in place to deal with drug driving. Roadside equipment to test for drug driving is being piloted in the UK and I suggest that similar measures be adopted here as soon as possible.

I concur with Deputy Gay Mitchell that a number of accidents, especially those occurring during daylight hours, are fatigue or stress related. People, particularly those travelling between Cork or Limerick and Dublin, drive under stressful conditions and do not get sufficient rest. The practice whereby people fall asleep at the wheels of their cars should be discouraged.

Although the Minister for Transport has promised for some time that legislation would be introduced to ban the use of mobile telephones while driving, no measures have yet been brought. Legislation should be introduced as soon as possible to prevent accidents which occur because people cannot watch the road while using their mobile telephones, particularly when traffic is bumper to bumper.

The chairman of the National Safety Council, Mr. Eddie Shaw, has been critical of the Government on its failure to implement the national road safety strategy. Recently, he estimated that the number of annual road fatalities in this country should stand at 240, a figure which represents six deaths per 100,000 people. The numbers killed on our roads imply that 140 people are dying unnecessarily every year and 1,200 suffer serious injuries.

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Members from all sides for their contributions to what has been an open and interesting debate on road safety. I am particularly encouraged by the acknowledgement of a number of speakers, in particular Deputies Olivia Mitchell and Shortall, that road safety is an area of public policy that should not be the subject of political point scoring.

Deputy Shortall listed a range of issues referred to in the road safety strategy where she claims progress has not been made. As the Minister of State, Deputy Callely, pointed out in his contribution yesterday evening, progress has already been made across a range of key areas identified in the strategy. He also confirmed that the Government remains fully focused on the delivery of the overall range of initiatives that are scheduled for delivery within the planning horizon established for the strategy.

The issue of random breath testing was referred to in the contributions of many Members, including Deputies Olivia Mitchell, Shortall, Jim O'Keeffe and Coveney. Deputy Shortall also raised the question of the charge imposed following conviction for drink driving offences.

The first road safety strategy, which related to the period 1998 to 2002, indicated that while the Government would consider the possibility of some change to the position that prevailed in advance of the publication of that strategy, it did not envisage the adoption of the unqualified application of random breath testing by the end of the period in question. Subsequently, the Road Traffic Acts were amended to provide that the Garda Síochána may require that all drivers involved in road collisions or detected committing any traffic offences must submit to roadside breath tests. This is in addition to the power to demand that a driver who, in the opinion of a garda, has consumed alcohol must submit to such a test.

The road safety strategy acknowledges that the absence of full random breath testing places unnecessary constraints on the Garda Síochána in its capacity to enforce drink-driving laws. The Government is pursuing the recommendation in the strategy by seeking to identify an approach that would be the most appropriate for this country. The Minister for Transport has offered to meet the Chairman of the Joint Committee on Transport and the transport spokespersons of the political parties to discuss this issue so a formula that crosses political boundaries can be identified.

The proposal in the road safety strategy to advance random breath testing represents one of a number of linked initiatives in the area of drink driving that will be pursued together. These include the introduction of an administrative disqualification as an alternative to a court appearance for certain drink driving offences, an increase in the disqualification periods which apply to drink driving and an increase in the charge imposed by the courts on those convicted of drink driving as a contribution towards the costs of the medical bureau of road safety in carrying out its analysis.

Deputies have referred to the question of motorcyclists on provisional licences being obliged to display L-plates. In line with the commitment given in the Road Safety Strategy 2004 — 2006, a requirement will be introduced that motorcyclists with a provisional licences display L-plates in common with other provisional licence holders.

With regard to training of motorcyclists, the strategy states that it is the intention over the course of the relevant period to introduce compulsory initial practical training for motorcyclists before they are permitted to drive alone on a public road. Primary legislation is necessary to facilitate the introduction of such training for motorcyclists and it is proposed to include the appropriate amendment on Committee Stage of the Driver Testing and Standards Authority Bill 2004. As indicated by the Minister of State, Deputy Callely, last night, this Bill will be re-titled the Road Safety Authority Bill.

The registration of driving and motorcycle instructors will involve a test of the competence of individual instructors. Responsibility for the implementation of a system of registration will rest with the new road safety authority, as will responsibility for overseeing the introduction of compulsory initial practical training for motorcyclists. A prerequisite for the introduction of such training will be a registration system for motorcycle instructors who will deliver such training.

Deputies Olivia Mitchell and Coveney referred to the area of drugs and driving. The Road Traffic Acts provide that a member of the Garda Síochána may, where he or she is of the opinion that a person in charge of a mechanically propelled vehicle in a public place is under the influence of a drug or drugs to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of that vehicle, require that person to submit to a blood test or to provide a urine sample, which will then be subject to analysis by the medical bureau of road safety.

Currently, there is no feasible basis for the introduction of a scheme of preliminary roadside testing for drugs. However, screening devices based on oral fluid specimens are being developed for the purpose of carrying out roadside drug testing. Such testing devices are in prototype stages and the medical bureau of road safety is keeping abreast of developments in this area.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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I ask the Minister of State to conclude.

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I ask that the rest of the statement be put in the Library.

John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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I wish to share time with Deputy Olivia Mitchell.

I was not going to say this, but have decided that I will. Every time I hear Ministers or Ministers of State saying they are glad that Opposition Members have not scored political points, it strikes me that they are nervous about something.

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I merely quoted the Deputies' concerns.

John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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The strange thing about road safety, unlike other issues, is that there are definite, clear and obvious ways of preventing what is happening from happening. They have been obvious for many years. The issue for Fianna Fáil is that it is getting nervous about taking people off the roads en masse. It got very nervous around local election time. It was clear that the penalty points system worked. It was clear from information from the Garda Síochána that it slowed people down. However, because the Government did not introduce any more than four out of a possible 69 categories of offences liable for penalty points, the system lost its impetus entirely. It is clear that Fianna Fáil is unpopular and it is also clear that as it goes into a general election 18 months from now, the last thing it wants to do is upset large numbers of people by taking them off the road. It is simply about politics. Fianna Fáil understands local politics better than most and understands what I have said to be true.

I disagree with some Members who spoke this evening. While it is true that increased visibility of gardaí provides a deterrent, it is not the only solution. The issue is about driver behaviour, taking a real crack at that issue and taking the necessary steps and Fianna Fáil has proven completely incapable and unwilling to take such steps time and again. This is epitomised by Mr. Eddie Shaw of the National Safety Council who said that 144 people could have been saved if the Government had taken those steps. It is obvious what those steps were. They were clear, determinate and definite but the Government has made no effort to take them over the last two or three years. All we hear is excuse after excuse. Whether it be mobile telephones or driver training, the Government has taken no concrete steps to address road safety issues.

The issue is whether Fianna Fáil is prepared to lose additional votes by implementing measures that may be very unpopular with the public. It is not prepared to do so. That is obvious.

I began my political career as a councillor in 1999 and one of the first issues I raised with the county council concerned a stretch of road, approximately four miles long. It was obvious that many people were being killed on this stretch of road. In one particular black spot, approximately 20 people had been killed over a period of 20 years, an average of one per year. Eventually, I managed to get a 60 km/h speed limit imposed. Nobody ever questioned my figures, contradicted me or said I was exaggerating or wrong. The problem was that we were reliant on the Garda for information on all of the crashes, and many minor crashes that took place on that stretch of road over 20 years were never recorded.

We have not invested in the kind of research that is needed when it comes to crashes. In many cases we do not know exactly why they are occurring. We are reliant on information from the Garda Síochána, which in many cases is not sufficient to draw up a clear picture as to what should be done, what solutions might be effective, how dangerous a particular stretch of road might be or what can be done to minimise the danger. We will not improve overall safety on the roads unless we are prepared to make an investment in that kind of scientific analysis of what causes crashes. That is the case in regard to the first point I made, about which I feel strongly. I do not believe the Minister of State is honest, forthright or realistic about dealing with the issue because he knows it will cost the Government votes in the next election if people are taken off the road en masse.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Last night, I highlighted the inadequacy of virtually every aspect of our traffic laws, whether the administration, legislation or enforcement. It is a long and sorry tale of either incompetence or indifference. I detected from the Government benches almost an acceptance that what we said was true. No one can stand over the current road death toll which is going in the opposite direction to every country in Europe.

Tonight I want to be a little more positive when speaking about what the Government should do and what it should stop doing. I said last night that we must change the whole culture surrounding driving. To do so, we must change driver behaviour, which means better education, regulation and enforcement. There must be better driver education at all stages of life. People need education before going near the road, and long after they have passed the test they need ongoing education. We need an improved modern and reformed driving test, a test that must be passed at some point. We need an environment that encourages good driving and punishes those who offend and endanger their own lives and the lives of others. We must do something about mandatory training courses for instructors, together with a statutory register of instructors. At the moment, one does not even have to have passed a driving test to set oneself up as a driving instructor. It is essential that people have a minimum number of lessons before going on the road.

There must be a change in the status of the provisional licence. It must be a provisional licence which leads to something; there is no point calling it a provisional licence if it leads nowhere. It is unacceptable to have a provisional licence for life. There should be a maximum number of penalty points for people on provisional licences so that there is some incentive to pass the test and learn how to drive properly. There should be a requirement for zero blood alcohol. The motorway ban should be strictly enforced. There should be an after-dark ban so that there is a real incentive to learn to drive and pass the test.

Members spoke about the need for training for motorcyclists before they go near a motorcycle. No level of road deaths is acceptable but, as far as motorcyclists are concerned, the number is way off the scale. Motorcyclists comprise 2% of drivers and they account for 25% of road deaths, which is unacceptable. We were promised that this issue would be dealt with but nothing has happened. There should be an accident investigation unit to find out what is causing all these accidents. We say broadly that it is driver behaviour, but which behaviour? It is a nonsense not to have statistics in this regard.

As my colleague, Deputy Enright, said, no toxicology test is carried out if one dies. It is at the discretion of the coroner but, in most cases, the cause of the accident is not known. If someone is to be charged, blood tests and so on are taken but there is no comprehensive information on what causes accidents. We guess that alcohol is the cause of 40% of deaths, but we do not know.

The NRA is the body responsible for publishing and collating the figures relating to the causes of accidents. It states that road conditions are the cause of approximately 2.5% of accidents, which I do not believe. It may be that that refers to national roads only but, in any event, no agency should adjudicate on itself. As it is responsible for the upkeep of roads, it should not be involved in such a task. We need an independent agency.

The gardaí must be upskilled. Approximately eight of the 12,000 gardaí have the forensic training to investigate causes of high speed crashes. No matter how many laws and regulations are introduced, if there is no enforcement, it is a complete waste of time. I said last night that fear works, and Irish drivers perceive they have nothing to fear. Until we enforce the law, we are just wasting our time.

In Victoria, Australia, there was a high incidence of road traffic accidents and a very high number of deaths. Four or five years ago, the authorities introduced a rigorous road safety campaign, which has worked. They believe that compliance measures have been the cornerstone in reducing fatalities. They are the key contributor to the substantial number of lives that are saved in Victoria each year. It would be great if we could say the same.

What is missing is not the Government's awareness of the problem, every area of policy is in a complete unmitigated shambles. I do not think anyone can deny it. It is entirely due to a lack of political leadership and a lack of a concentrated concerted effort to deal with the barriers to road safety. The Minister, Deputy Cullen, who is abroad is like a gadfly. He alights momentarily on every problem and then flits off to something else. He has not grasped the problem to ensure success in this area. One must do more than just turn up for the photo shoot. He espouses one cause after another if a photo shoot is involved. He espouses it for half a day or a few hours, with no apparent preplanning and no attention to detail. It is no wonder every initiative is floundering on the rocks of inattention to detail and failure to plan.

We were promised outsourced driver testing to clear the backlog. A number of people went to the trouble of tendering for the work and someone was awarded it. However, because there was no preplanning or prior consultation, it has now ended up in the Labour Court. Outsourcing never happened and no one took responsibility for it. We were promised outsourcing of the national roll-out of speed cameras. Then it was discovered that legislation was required, but it was not introduced and no one took responsibility for it. We were promised an automatic seamless penalty points administration system, but it was discovered that the computer system could not cope with it. A large number of gardaí did not even have access to a computer, therefore, nothing happened and no one took responsibility. We decided on an outsourced payments system for the penalty points system. I have been hearing about this for months, but nothing has happened.

The driver testing and standards authority was promised, which would solve all the problems. The legislation was published, we all spoke about it and then it was withdrawn mysteriously. Nothing has happened and no one has taken responsibility for it. We were promised random testing, which gardaí say is crucial to improving the conviction rate. It is also crucial as a deterrent. At least if there was the threat of it, it would work as a deterrent. That has been abandoned on legal advice and no attempt was made to find a solution, despite the fact that the conviction rate continues to drop. Nothing has happened and no one has taken responsibility. However, I am delighted to hear tonight that we are to have a meeting about it.

The previous Minister promised legislation to ban mobile phones while driving, but that was dropped on legal advice because he could not define a mobile phone. Nothing happened and no one took responsibility. These are just a few instances in a long litany of disasters which can only be due either to gross incompetence or a lack of political will and political leadership on the part of the Minister. I believe it is the latter because I do not think he is that incompetent. He must stop being a hands-off Minister, so to speak. He must stop being the ten-year, one-page Minister. He must stop being the kind of Minister who said he did not give Dublin Bus any buses because it did not ask. When a matter is too complex to deal with, he must stop thinking that setting up new bodies and outsourcing are a solution or an alternative to applying himself to detailed planning and getting the matter off his desk.

Once and for all he must achieve what he set out to achieve rather than try to find a legislative solution that gets the problem off his desk. The solution is for the Minister to be a Minister. The Minister with responsibility must take responsibility. It is not rocket science but if one person does not take responsibility for driving forward and delivering all these measures, and we accept they must be brought forward, legislated for and enforced, people will continue to die needlessly. The only person who can do it is the Minister. I commend the motion to the House.