Derek Keating (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Question 43: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will consider requesting the Garda Commissioner to activate the traffic corps to its maximum during peak traffic times particularly onto and off motorways in the morning time to try and ease the increasing traffic delays; if his attention has been drawn to any traffic plan that the Garda Commissioner, in conjunction with the local authorities, has put in place when a serious accident takes place at a major junction (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30794/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The function of An Garda Síochána is set out in the Garda Síochána Act 2005 and includes regulating and controlling road traffic and improving road safety. I am informed by the Garda authorities that Garda management, to the greatest extent possible, ensures that the deployment of Garda traffic corps personnel reflects and coincides with identified peak periods of commuter traffic to facilitate the smooth flow of traffic during these times. Within the Dublin region, city and county, a specific traffic management plan - Operation Artery - is in place which allocates traffic corps resources to managing morning and evening peak traffic. Operation Artery operates as an inter-agency response to traffic management involving the four relevant local authorities and the public transport providers.

While one of the primary responsibilities of the Garda traffic corps is traffic management, all Garda resources respond to and deal with traffic management issues. Local Garda management has contingency plans in the event of a major road traffic incident on motorways, major arteries and other thoroughfares, with a major emergency plan in place specifically for an incident on the M50. The primary purpose of such plans is to ensure that such incidents are dealt with as expeditiously as possible to minimise disruption to traffic, to ensure that such incidents are subject to thorough investigation, and to ensure, as far as possible, the smooth flow of traffic by way of early notification to road users, through road-side and overhead notice-boards and the media, of the occurrence of a major incident and rolling traffic diversions.

I am informed that the incident to which the Deputy refers, and in which, tragically, a person was fatally injured, occurred at Steeven's Lane and involved a Luas tram. Steeven's Lane, which is not open to through traffic, was immediately closed to allow for the proper investigation of this serious incident, including a technical examination of the scene. An Garda Síochána has agreed protocols in place with Luas senior management when such incidents occur. Every effort is made in such circumstances to ensure continued access to and egress from locations and that road closures and stoppages of rail and tram services are kept to a minimum, while at all times ensuring that all available evidence is collected to allow such incidents to be thoroughly investigated.

Derek Keating (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for his considered and comprehensive reply to my question. The Government's main focus since its election some months ago has been on our national recovery. Difficulties with the movement of traffic to and from the workplace only delay our national recovery and do not help the economy. Like me, I am sure other Members have experienced considerable logjams following a simple breakdown or accident and this is the motivation behind my question. A co-ordinated response is required and it should involve some of the activities mentioned by the Minister. It should also involve local authorities and, where appropriate, the emergency services.

There is no better example of where the emergency services needed to be involved than yesterday and the experience we all had returning home from work. When I eventually arrived home from the House, I was struck by the comments made by a number of people that but for the support of 98FM, they would not have had much direction on what route to take. Considering the horrendous flooding along the quays, including at the Guinness premises, there was an absence of personnel to assist. I agree that the circumstances were unprecedented, but I would like to see a more co-ordinated response.

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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As someone who was in the city centre yesterday, I can say the weather conditions were exceptional. There was flooding in all sorts of locations. I would like to praise all of those working in the employment of the city council, the Garda Síochána and the fire service for the extraordinary work they did yesterday in very difficult circumstances. They dealt not only with traffic jams but with the exceptional and unusual flooding that took place at a variety of locations across the city, north and south. Certainly, there were traffic delays, but the traffic moved to a better degree than might have been anticipated. One of the difficulties that sometimes arises in extreme weather conditions of this nature is that traffic delays occur, not as a result of accidents, but as a result of dysfunctional traffic lights, which seem to be affected by extreme weather conditions. This is a matter for the city council, but too frequently at times of extreme wet weather, we see traffic lights ceasing to function and a traffic jam developing for no particular reason other than that.

The Garda traffic control centre, which is based at the Garda communication centre in Harcourt Street, co-ordinates the Garda response to traffic management issues in the Dublin region. At the control centre, there is direct access to an extensive range of CCTV facilities, including Garda, Dublin City Council, Dublin Port and Luas cameras. There is a considerable degree of co-ordination between the agencies when a major difficulty arises, which occurred yesterday evening.

Derek Keating (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Given the exceptional circumstances to which the Minister referred in some detail, perhaps he can assist me at a suitable occasion in getting a considered report from the Garda Commissioner detailing reports from the emergency services, the Garda Síochána and the local authorities in the greater Dublin region. This would be of assistance in planning for the future.

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Garda Síochána traffic control centre liaises directly with the control rooms of the national traffic control centre, Dublin City Council traffic control, South Dublin County Council traffic rooms, the Dublin Fire Brigade, Luas, Dublin Bus, Dublin Port Tunnel, the M50 concession and, in partnership with these agencies, it directs responses to incidents when they occur. There is substantial arranged co-ordination and information exchange at all times.