Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I am somewhat glad that he is a Dublin Minister because I want to touch on some issues in relation to the draft Dublin city transport plan 2023. Deputy Chambers is someone who lives in the city and, therefore, he would be more familiar than most with the challenges around that.

It is important we are having this debate here today. We cannot do justice to it, as we have very limited time here today, but I will touch on six key thoughts that I had.

Can the Minister of State arrange to have his officials circulate his speech to the House? We have not got it. It is normal practice to have it at the door but that may be an administrative issue. The Minister of State might send it out to Senators later on.

As I stated, it is important we are having this discussion today because, clearly, too many people have died on our roads. In the past few months, we have seen some horrific fatalities, the cause of loss, of death and injury, and all the sadness that goes with that, with all demands, all the loss, all the pain and all the suffering. So much of it did not have to happen and could have been avoided, in many cases, if proper safety measures had been taken.

In the most recent statistics I looked at today, 126 people have died from road crashes so far in 2023. I heard Senator McGreehan mention a figure of 136 but I had 126. The figure may have moved up from the last published statistics. That will tell the Minister of State how the situation has gone on. It does not really matter because it is happening every week. They were the last statistics that I got on the RSA website. There has been a sharp increase here compared with the same period last year, which is really horrific. Many people have suffered horrific injuries as a result of these road accidents.

There is a target, as the Minister of State will be aware, to reduce road deaths by 50% by 2030. It is important to remember that annual road deaths in the 1970s and 1980s exceeded over 500. It is hard to believe, looking back, that in those years we had over 500 deaths. Substantial progress has been made over that long period of time. I would expect nothing less but it is important that we do not lose sight of the trajectory and how things have improved. Of course, funding on roads and infrastructure has contributed to that.

The Road Safety Authority needs to be looked at again. At the outset, this is not a criticism of Ms Liz O'Donnell, who is its chair. We need to look at its functions. We need to expand its advocacy role to empower it to have a greater say. That means resources. It needs money and it needs education. Where there are targeted focused campaigns in relation to road safety, we see the figures dropping down. That is important. I refer to the timing of their campaigns, where they are advertising and where they are campaigning, and whether they are getting to the right targets. I am fully supportive of the RSA in its work but I feel it could expand that work if it was given the necessary support from the Department and Government resources and funds to do that.

There needs to be a strong focus also on empowering our local communities in relation to making alternative transport models and choices because we need to get more people off the roads if we can. That is a factor too. There are a lot of people rushing around the place to get from A to B. There are a lot of options. I have started taking in the DART. I live in Monkstown. It costs less than €2 on a card. Why did I not do it a long time ago? I realise now I can be here in 20 minutes rather than an hour and a half where I am passing by a whole load of jeeps and all sorts of transport coming from Monkstown to Blackrock, Merrion, Sandymount and Dublin 4 into Leinster House. We need to encourage a lot more people to get out of their own vehicles. That should be part of the holistic, bigger or greater plan. That is important.

We need to reduce our speed limits. Of course, the Minister of State will be aware of the speed limit review and the main report published by the Government in September 2023. Let us not publish any more reports. Let us not talk any more. We do not need any more suggestions. The policy has been set down in this report. Let us implement that report. I want to hear from the Minister of State how he will drive the objectives and targets that are set out in this report. We do not need any more talking about what we might be doing. This is the Government's plan. Let us here how the Minister of State will deliver on the plan because that is really important.

Many local authorities across the country tell me they cannot implement some of the strategy or will not be able to implement it unless they have additional resources, that is, personnel, engineers and all the people who go with all of that work for the smaller jobs. There will be a significant change in signage when we introduce new changes and it is important that we also give some autonomy to local authorities in this area too.It is about subsidiarity, giving back power to local communities. If the Minister of State wants buy-in from local communities, he needs to liaise with them and talk to them. I know I am preaching to the converted when I say that to him, as he is fully committed to all that. We need to look at local authorities and how we are funding them to roll out the measures.

I agree with what Senator McGreehan says about education in schools. It is a very good idea and I fully support it. What was suggested for theory tests could be done. I would like to think any child in secondary school, where practical and possible, would be given the opportunity to do a theory test and at least to have that much clocked up. It would also educate them about the significance of road users and safety. That is an important suggestion I fully support.

All over this country there are signs saying "Black Spot", "Danger" and "Slow Down". Surely if we have identified the black spots, obstacles and problems they should be a priority. I am driving by "Black Spot" signage for the past ten years and nothing has been done. There are signs saying "Danger Zone", "Black Spot" and "Slow Down", but if they are that dangerous why are they not being addressed? I ask the Minister of State to look at that.

The Dublin City Centre Transport Plan 2023 is very imaginative. There are great suggestions and ideas that take on board many of the issues relating to new modes of transport but also how we help to make a safer space for the road and pedestrians. It is all good news but it needs resources and funding. I ask that over the next few months the Department would focus on it and work in partnership with Dublin City Council to see how the plan can be supported. If it is supported, it will benefit people in terms of safety, both pedestrians, cyclists and vehicle users within the city of Dublin.