Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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38. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of his Department's priorities listed which include the statement that a mid-term review of the road safety strategy has commenced; the details of this review; the achievements he envisages from the review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38657/16]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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The Minister has at long last put up his list of priorities on his Department's website and it includes the mid-term review of the National Road Safety Strategy 2013-2020. Would the Minister agree that parts of that strategy seem to be in tatters when one looks at the enforcement targets, for example, or the annual report on the strength of the Garda traffic corps and how it is actually carrying out its enforcement and given also that as of this morning 175 people have lost their lives on Irish roads, and the casualty is still rising?

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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On a point of order, is Deputy Broughan getting two supplementary questions or one?

Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister will start the clock.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I want to be able to give the Deputy a lot of time and want to know how to use the time.

Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will have one supplementary contribution because there will be no sos today at all.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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My Department's immediate priority for road safety at this time is to ensure the passage of the Road Traffic Bill 2016 through the Oireachtas followed by its speedy enactment, together with the ongoing implementation of the National Road Safety Strategy 2013-2020.  The Road Traffic Bill 2016 contains a series of reforms dealing with drug driving, mutual recognition of driver disqualifications between Ireland and the UK, and a new optional 20 km/h speed limit in built-up areas.  In addition, several miscellaneous and technical matters will be addressed. I would not describe anything as being in tatters but the road safety figures are completely unacceptable. The reasons given for them seem to the four basic ones we have had before and about which the Deputy is familiar, namely, seat belts, mobile phone use, speed and alcohol. I would not say anything is in tatters at all but the figures have spiked this year and this should tell us something. It should tell us that it is not enough to be advertising aggressively in the newspapers and on television. That does not work on its own, the figures are so bad. I am hopeful that the Road Traffic Bill, particularly with its drug clauses and clauses around speeding in housing estates, an issue in which the Deputy has been involved, will help to bring those figures down. I hope to have this legislation ready next week.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

The National Road Safety Strategy 2013–2020 lists 144 actions, aimed at reducing the number of deaths on our roads to no more than 124 by 2020, in line with the EU target of no more than 24 deaths per million population. The mid-term review of the strategy commenced in November 2016, with an all-day meeting of stakeholders to review progress to date on the implementation of the strategy, including whether the actions identified are still relevant.  While there is good progress on implementation of much of the strategy, more recent trends are a cause of concern and challenges remain in many areas.

This is an opportune time to examine what measures will have the greatest impact on improving road safety for the remaining years of the Strategy, particularly in the light of the worrying increase in road fatalities this year, paralleling increases in other European countries and the US in recent years.  The Road Safety Authority is working to produce a report on the work that needs to be done and on the issues and actions identified by stakeholders.  I understand that this review will be submitted to me as soon as it is complete early in the new year.

Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Broughan can put all of his supplementary contribution into one minute.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I have said this to the Taoiseach a few weeks ago. Since the Minister and I were elected to this House in 2011, almost 1,000 people have died on our roads and there have been between 15,000 and 16,000 very serious injuries. Clearly, if this was happening in any other area of Irish life or administration it would be a targeted area and action would be taken. The enforcement actions of the road safety strategy are hopelessly behind target. I welcome the fact the Road Traffic Bill will be passed next week at the latest and certainly will be passed during this Dáil session, but with regard to enforcement by the Garda traffic corps and through penalty points and so on, there has not been sufficient delivery on some of these actions.

What kind of a strong response can be taken? The Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality is responsible for carrying out of much of the enforcement. From the experience of the last eight or nine months does the Minister, Deputy Ross, feel there needs to be a special protocol between the two Departments in how road traffic law, which the Minister is bringing through the House, will be enforced by the Department of Justice and Equality and by An Garda Síochána? This applies particularly in cases of speeding. District Court records show huge inconsistencies in how speeding offences are being dealt with and how in some District Courts there is very low conviction rates compared to others.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I am very reluctant to get into any more trouble with the Judiciary than I am already in another sphere by commenting on the Deputy's last remark. There is a need for more consistency in sentencing, especially in the area of traffic offences, and I suspect that some of the penalties are too light in certain areas. In view of the road deaths, I would like to see a more consistent form of penalty being imposed. The Deputy is probably aware that the upcoming bail Bill will contain a clause that people will, in certain circumstances and at the discretion of the court, be forced to hand up their licences when they have been charged with serious offences. This is quite new and is a measure of which I and my Department would fully approve.

I thank the Deputy for his contribution to this debate, it has been very helpful and genuine. I hope to be able to respond and take more concrete measures if necessary to reduce road deaths.