Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Before I bring in anyone else, and while I am in the Chair, I would like to say that I am also the Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications. I am aware of the work the Minister of State, and, indeed, that committee has put in dealing with this matter. It is a matter of huge concern to the wider public. Certainly to anyone involved in road safety, the figures are going in the wrong direction.

The four most common criteria are young people, at night and weekends, rural roads and speeding. It is important that we hammer that point home to everybody. Motorway detection and vigilance is important but most of the road deaths unfortunately are happening on rural roads, at night, at weekends and involving young people. We need to keep reinforcing that point.

I thank the Minister of State and everyone in the Road Safety Authority, in the Department and in wider civic society and the Garda, who are contributing in any way they can to reducing road deaths and, indeed, injuries because life-changing injuries happen as well in road accidents and can be incredibly traumatic for both the people involved and their families.

I will call Senator Keogan first. Then I will bring in Senators Dooley and Joe O'Reilly-----