Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

There is no question of my being difficult for the sake of it in not accepting amendments. However, when I explain precisely what is involved it will be clear we are not setting up the authority to a lower standard than international standards. The road safety authority will have responsibility for accident statistics and road safety research. In order to fulfil this responsibility, a research and statistics unit will be established within the authority which will compile and analyse data on accidents in Ireland and will also contribute to Irish and European research projects. It will enable research to be undertaken on various safety initiatives and will stimulate and manage research on road safety matters within the academic and wider community.

A statistician with specialist qualifications and experience in this area has been engaged — we are not awaiting enactment of the Bill for this — who has commenced work on particular projects. As Members know, the chief executive officer pro tem and staff are already in place. It is also planned to recruit two researchers in the near future who will require specialist qualifications and experience in the area of research. The work carried out in this unit will meet appropriate and high standards in each of the respective disciplines.

It is not a question of having standards that are appropriate to Ireland only. This unit will be of the highest standard. We are constantly benchmarking against the European road safety action plan. In the context of our ambition within the European Union and the wider world, I attended a meeting in Dublin last week, chaired by the Minister, Deputy Cullen, of the European conference of Ministers of Transport, which comprised Ministers from 50 countries. The meeting took a decision to extend the programme and it is open to other countries to join us.

Within the Department of Transport, at European level and at the wider international level, we have spent considerable time considering how to improve road safety issues. All of us at the wider international level agree that drink driving, which can be linked to drugs, speeding and the non-wearing of seat belts contribute greatly to the many fatalities in Ireland and Europe generally. Our aim which is an ambitious and realistic one is to reduce road fatalities by 50% by 2012. All countries have bought into this aim of the high level working group within the EU. We are benchmarking all the time against the European road safety action plan. The information and statistics that will be available will be of a high standard. In view of that it is not necessary after "statistics" to insert "to international standards" as that is clearly implied.