Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank all Senators for prioritising the issue of road safety today in their business. It is shocking that as we sit here, so many families across the State are grieving the loss of their loved ones on our roads. Recent trends serve as a reminder to all of us that we can never be complacent about road safety. Reducing road deaths and serious injuries will only be achieved if we all highlight the importance of road safety and promote the conversation about road safety in our homes, with our families and friends and in our places of work. As individuals, we must commit to use the roads safely.

I will try to address some of the points made by Senators. I sympathise with Senator McGreehan on the death of Ms Caroline White, her friend who was killed on the roads. She was another victim on our roads and specifically a victim of reckless driver behaviour. She is another person we need to remember. We all know people, friends and family members, who have lost their lives, quite often because of shocking behaviour. This is what we need to stamp out. We must ensure there is strengthened enforcement and campaigns. The Senator also spoke about the issue of speeding and drug- and drink-driving. With An Garda Síochána and the wider campaigns, we are trying to strengthen the response in this regard.

Senator McGreehan also spoke about infrastructure and capacity constraints. This is something we are working on in the context of our overall budget. There are some measures around trying to provide road safety interventions but also to mitigate some of the road safety concerns people have. The Senator also spoke about education campaigns. The Department of Education and the Road Safety Authority run a transition year campaign, Your Road to Safety, on which we are working with the Minister for Education, Deputy Norma Foley. She is engaging with the Road Safety Authority on what more we can do. There is a place to strengthen the educational aspect at second level.

Senator Boyhan spoke about the Road Safety Authority and its functions. We will be commencing a review, with the Road Safety Authority, of its functions and examining how we can ensure, as a body, it is best structured for what we want to do in the context of the new road safety strategy. We are working with the Road Safety Authority on this. The Senator also spoke about focusing on demographics. We focus the campaigns on the people in the demographic most at risk when it comes to their behaviour on our roads. The Senator also spoke about speed limits. We are prioritising the drafting of new speed limits this year, and we hope to have this enacted by the end of this year.

Senator Kyne spoke about the speed limit review. He also spoke about the national secondary roads and his concerns around the baseline speed limit. Guidance will be developed on this which will set the baseline at 80 km/h. Other Senators mentioned this aspect as well, but it is not going to be a binary choice for councillors. If a road has been upgraded and has an appropriate standard, it will be recommended that the speed limit be set at 100 km/h. If it is an unsafe road, which has not been upgraded, and the speed limit should remain at 80 km/h, then this will be the recommendation. It will not, however, be a vague document. The guidance will set out the details on whether the speed limit on a road should remain at 100 km/h or be brought back to the default baseline of 80 km/h. I will follow up with TII on the issue of right-hand turns.

Senator Boylan spoke about pedestrians and their road safety and the shocking rise in fatalities and injuries we have seen in recent times. I agree with her on this issue, which is one we are focused on, particularly in conjunction with the Road Safety Authority in respect of its campaigns. We are also focusing on the investment we have in active travel to ensure we make our public spaces and public realm safer places for people who wish to embrace active travel. Reducing speed will also play a key role. As Senator Garvey mentioned, at 30 km/h, people have a 90% chance of surviving when struck by a vehicle. This diminishes to a 10% chance of survival when the speed rises to 60 km/h. If we are honest, many of the speed limits in our urban spaces are utterly inappropriate for the level of activity we see in our towns and cities.

In terms of the issue concerning data, we are working with the Road Safety Authority and An Garda Síochána. There is also interaction between the Data Protection Commissioner and those two bodies regarding how we can address concerns in this regard. The academic community has referred to data availability. This is something we are trying to conclude because I am aware of the concerns in this area. Senator Chambers referenced the issue of the impact on families and I share her concerns. She also spoke about the issue of speed limits. Again, as I said, it will not be a binary choice.

I agree with Senator Garvey on infrastructure and trucks in our towns and villages. A key part of that will be ensuring we continue investment in road bypasses of many of our towns. We need a logistics system that ensures we have transit of goods and materials. The way to do that safely is to bypass towns and we are keen to invest in that.

Senator Flynn, who left, spoke about her terrible experience when she was struck, the time she spent in the ICU and the impact that has had on her. We have too many victims who have been injured or have lost their lives. She spoke about the issue of a transition year programme and strengthening that, and driver testing as well.

I welcome Senator Dolan’s comments on the N5, which I think will make a big difference in saving lives and from a road safety perspective as well. We have a significant protection and renewal budget for local and regional roads, an active travel budget of €360 million and the safe routes to school programme. I know there is huge ambition in communities to do more and we are working to advance many of the projects we have currently committed to but also engage with communities on additionality.

Senator Carrigy engaged with colleagues in the Department on consistency of guidance on speed ramps and the safe routes to school programme. I am aware of the concerns within Longford and parts of Westmeath about the N4 and I think that road should be progressed. It has huge importance for road safety, regional development and also to unlock housing in many parts of Longford, in particular. I know about the concerns within the council from public representatives. Funding decisions are made on an annual basis and we will continue to engage on that.

Senator Conway raised three points on strengthening the campaigns, which we are keen to do, and also the issue of strengthening technology, which a number of other Members referenced. That is something we will see in road safety both in enforcement but also greater consistency across the European Union in technology in vehicles and on our roads.

I welcome Senator Murphy’s remarks on the N5, which I know is of real importance to Roscommon, the community there and the people who travel beyond to the west. That is a section of road that has had a poor safety record and the investment will make a real difference. I agree with the Senator on the issue of drug-driving. It is a major issue. We are seeing that in the figures, trends and high levels of drug-driving that we are trying to address.

I tried to respond to some of the remarks Members made. I appreciate the prioritisation of road safety by all of them. We are very much open to working with everyone across both Houses on bringing reforms in this area and having a proper response to break the current trend we are seeing.