Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael)

I acknowledge the efforts of the Road Safety Authority and all State agencies trying their best to reduce the number of deaths as a result of traffic accidents. We would all agree that one death is one too many. We set a target in regard to the number of road traffic deaths but were any measurements done on serious road traffic injuries? Many accidents do not result in deaths but in serious road traffic injuries. Is there any measurement of the number of such injuries? They result in debts for the families affected and the State in taking care of them.

It is fine to call for enforcement but one in four people who receive penalty points do not get them on their licences because they hold out-of-State licences. If we are serious about enforcement, this is sending out completely the wrong message. Something has to be done about this problem. I understand that AA Ireland made proposals to the Department some months ago about the introduction of parallel licensing arrangements to cover those who hold out-of-State licences. If the Department is serious about sending out the right message in respect of enforcement, it should adopt the AA Ireland proposals. They would ensure that penalty points have an effect when they are issued. They are not having the required effect at present.

I would like to speak about mandatory breath testing. We all agree it is irresponsible in the extreme not to test for alcohol at the scene of an accident. I welcome the Minister's U-turn on mandatory breath testing. I understand he is working with the Office of the Attorney General to establish how the current legislation can be amended to provide for roadside testing, which Fine Gael has been advocating for many years. We welcome the Minister's engagement at this juncture. In light of the widespread use of what are termed "recreational drugs", we believe the Minister should also consider drug testing. It is imperative that we provide funds for research and development in this area in order that we can facilitate on-the-spot drug testing in the future.

I concur with Senator Hannigan's comments about road safety near schools. Fine Gael believes that school transport services should be the subject of proper auditing systems and obligatory risk assessments. I ask the Minister of State and his officials to take on board that point. We need to reflect on how pedestrians, cyclists and people travelling in cars and buses arrive at and depart our schools. Significant problems are associated with car parking in the vicinity of schools. If proper risk assessments are to be conducted, possibly led by local authorities in conjunction with boards of management and the gardaí, they need to be properly resourced. As we all know, local authorities do not receive enough funding to fulfil their mandates as things stand. They should receive more resources to work on school safety.

I have spoken previously about the National Roads Authority's policy in respect of rest areas and service stations on our national roads. When the previous Minister for Transport, Deputy Cullen, instructed the authority to provide such facilities, it started to examine its policy in this regard as it pertains to new motorways and dual carriageways. I propose that it should consider extending this programme to national roads, such as the N25 Rosslare-Cork route in the south east. The drivers of heavy goods vehicles have no option other than to pull up on hard shoulders on the outskirts of towns and cities, thereby causing traffic hazards, if they are to meet their obligations under EU law to take rest periods. The Government's failure to implement a proper policy on rest areas to serve our national roads means that drivers have to park on the hard shoulders of roads leading into towns and villages throughout the country.

It is important that the Government should continue to invest in non-national roads in rural areas. Some Senators have already commented on the number of accidents on such roads. I am concerned about the message that is being sent out in the context of the current budgetary outlook. It is proposed to decrease by 39% the level of funding given to local authorities for non-national roads. Is it right that the Ministers for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Transport have agreed on such a reduction? We will debate this issue again during tomorrow's debate on the Local Government (Roads Functions) Bill 2007. If we are genuinely interested in road safety, it is paradoxical to cut the funds being given to local authorities, which are doing the best they can with the limited funds available to them.

We all know road accidents happen for many reasons. Among the factors which contribute to such accidents are the human factors which have been discussed throughout this debate, such as driver inexperience, speed, drink driving, driver fatigue and irresponsibility. We should also focus on issues like the poor standard of the roads, particularly in rural Ireland. There are problems with road surfaces, alignments, junctions and signs. Somebody spoke earlier about the alignment of cats' eyes on the side of the road. All of these issues need to be addressed, but that will not happen if funding is reduced. I ask the Minister for Transport to deal with these difficulties.