Results 4,761-4,780 of 26,006 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy 2021-30: Discussion (30 Jun 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Some members have come back. I want to set the scene. The witnesses are before us because there were eight fatalities over the bank holiday weekend. There had been 78 fatalities to date this year when we were due to meet originally and the number has increased to 83. The figures this year appear to be a reversal of a trend. We would like to know why in order that we can assist as a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy 2021-30: Discussion (30 Jun 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: We note that there have been 17 fatalities among motorcyclists so far this year. There was a total of 21 last year. We are here today because there appears to have been a significant increase in fatalities in the first six months of this year and we wish to know why. I will not ask questions but wished to set the stage. Professor Cusack spoke about data. These are the data we want to probe.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy 2021-30: Discussion (30 Jun 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: What is the age profile?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy 2021-30: Discussion (30 Jun 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Those figures would be against the public perception. I will hand back to members. That is the context of the meeting today.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy 2021-30: Discussion (30 Jun 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank members for their indulgence. I wanted to set the scene. I will call Senator Buttimer.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy 2021-30: Discussion (30 Jun 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: I had indicated that Deputy Lowry would come in prior to other members. I will call him now.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy 2021-30: Discussion (30 Jun 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Is that during the day, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy 2021-30: Discussion (30 Jun 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: That was my perception.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy 2021-30: Discussion (30 Jun 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Before he does that, will Ms Hilman just give us the breakdown of the 83? How many of those had contributory factors of drink, drugs and non-drink or drugs because that is the final component.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy 2021-30: Discussion (30 Jun 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: For members who were missing, I will add a small bit of context.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy 2021-30: Discussion (30 Jun 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: That is okay. I will bring people up to speed. Some 50% of collisions occur between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy 2021-30: Discussion (30 Jun 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., 50% of fatalities from collisions occur. Fourteen of the 83 fatalities so far this year occurred between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. There were 16 on Sundays and 15 on Fridays, which represent 37% of the total. Speed was a contributing factor in 29% of fatalities. A further 20% of cases are under investigation. Intoxicating drugs or alcohol were a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy 2021-30: Discussion (30 Jun 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Drugs were noted to contribute to 5% of cases. Some 25% of these causes involve drugs and alcohol. Have our guests been able to correlate how many of the cases involving speeding also included drugs? Have our guests been able to link those factors?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy 2021-30: Discussion (30 Jun 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: The point I am trying to make is that well over 50% of those accidents might have their basis in speeding and intoxication. Speed and intoxication may have been dual contributory factors. The motorist may have been speeding and under the influence of alcohol and drugs. When do we get that level of forensic detail?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy 2021-30: Discussion (30 Jun 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: I appreciate that. As laypeople, we might be inclined to ask why it takes so long. A six-month wait makes it hard to react in real time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy 2021-30: Discussion (30 Jun 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Last year's figures show 137 fatalities. How many of those were a combination of drink or drugs and speeding?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy 2021-30: Discussion (30 Jun 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: With regard to the speed vans we see, not only on motorways, is the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau able to correlate its data, to see where the fatalities happen, for there to be known spots for speeding? A very high percentage of 29% of fatal road traffic collisions were reported to have had speeding as a contributory factor. When the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau does its...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy 2021-30: Discussion (30 Jun 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Senator Buttimer needs to look at the website before he asks a question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy 2021-30: Discussion (30 Jun 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Perhaps Professor Cusack would forward on those papers to the committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy 2021-30: Discussion (30 Jun 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: We recently had Committee Stage of the Road Traffic and Roads Bill. We asked that before the Bill comes back on Report Stage the Minister would look at the age limit. They are basically saying that we cannot limit for age for the purchase of an e-scooter. We have asked them to look at it again. Perhaps Professor Cusack would send that on to us and to An Garda Síochána as well....