David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 7: To ask the Minister for Transport the level of staffing he envisages for the proposed new driving standards and road safety authority; the way in which this authority will be financed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36031/05]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 71: To ask the Minister for Transport his proposals for a road safety authority; its remit, functions, powers, number of board members, staff numbers and budget; and when same will be formally established. [35976/05]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 71 together.

I refer the Deputies to my reply to Question No. 3. Work on establishing the road safety authority is well advanced in my Department. It was originally intended that the new body would be called the driver testing and standards authority and would deliver the driver licensing and driver testing service only. The Government decided in July to assign a range of additional road safety functions to the new body, thereby creating the road safety authority. The authority will be tasked with playing a lead role in the area of road safety.

The authority's functions will include those currently undertaken by the Department in respect of driver testing, driver licensing, vehicle standards, certain functions relating to the road haulage industry, the road safety functions currently undertaken by the National Safety Council and certain functions relating to accident research and statistics being undertaken by the National Roads Authority. The authority will also have responsibility for the regulation of driving instruction, the introduction of compulsory basic training for motorcycles and the introduction of vocational training for professional drivers in the transport industry.

The Driver Testing and Standards Authority Bill 2004 has completed Second Stage in the Dáil. Amendments to the Bill are being drafted to give effect to the wider functions being assigned to the authority and it is to be renamed the road safety authority Bill 2004.

I anticipate that the Bill will become law by the middle of 2006, following which the authority will be established on a statutory footing. The Bill provides for a board to oversee and direct the work of the authority that will comprise a chairperson and not less than six and not more than 11 ordinary members. Pending the establishment of the authority, I propose to appoint an interim board to facilitate the transitional phase of its establishment.

A project team is in place in my Department to progress the establishment of the authority. Issues relating to staffing, the organisational structure and the financial arrangements for the new authority are being dealt with by the project team in consultation with the staff associations and the Department of Finance.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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From the Opposition's point of view, the establishment of this new authority is a pig in a poke. We do not know what it is going to do or if the new legislation will be more than enabling in nature. What powers and functions will the body possess? What value will the body add if it simply amalgamates the testing and road safety functions? All that is wrong with those bodies is they are not resourced; they could do the job of the new body if they had the resources.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I do not accept that the Deputy is being asked to buy a pig in a poke. I have appeared before two committees and explained in detail what I am doing. I have here laid out, in broad but direct terms, the responsibilities of the authority. I have also stated that the National Safety Council will become part of the authority to create, on a statutory basis, one body that will have responsibility for co-ordinating all matters, some of which lie with the NRA, the driver testing authorities, local authorities and various sections of the Department. Everyone has recommended that the functions should be overseen by a single statutory road safety authority with real teeth.

I have answered this question many times. When the amendments are ready, I will give them to the Deputy in good time before we deal with them. I hope that is acceptable and that the Bill will be a substantial improvement on the original proposal.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I am doing this and we are waiting because the Labour Party asked me to do it on Second Stage of the Driver Testing and Standards Authority Bill.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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This came to fruition during the debate and in another forum. The momentum gathered and I said I would stand back. If there is a better way, I try to work with it if it is possible to do so. It has caused some delay but the consensus is that it was better to establish the new authority from scratch and appoint the interim chief executive officer, who is already working away on getting things in place.

The amendments should be ready early in the new year and we can then start the debate early in the new session. I have set a deadline of the end of next year's first session for the Bill passing through both Houses and establishing the body on a statutory basis.