Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber.

If we are to address road safety in a meaningful way, we need a multipronged approach. The number of road deaths might well be reduced from what it was 20 years ago, when there was a high of 458, but the number is still far too high. Enforcement is key. People will continue to flout the rules if there is not adequate enforcement of them. It is concerning when the Garda road policing unit numbers are very low. There were 1,046 members of the Garda road policing unit 15 years ago but now there are only 620. That is a reduction of 41%. This is something that needs to be addressed immediately if we are going to see any real change on our roads. Reducing speed limits is all very well and good, but if it is not enforced, it will not have any impact.

Measures are no good without education. There needs to be much better education and awareness of speed limits, the use of mobile phones, the wearing of seat belts, and drink and drug driving. With regard to wearing seat belts, it is concerning to see in the 2023 observational survey there was a decline in drivers and passengers wearing seat belts. Between 2019 and 2023, a total of 23% of driver fatalities and 21% of passenger fatalities involved people not wearing seat belts. Had they been wearing seat belts, it is quite possible they would not have been killed. I cannot imagine getting into a car without wearing a seat belt. It is second nature now and one gets so used to it. It is very concerning that people are not wearing them.

On the Order of Business, I raised the issue of the quality of the roads in Cavan. This needs to be addressed. There needs to be significant investment in road repair and, in some places, widening the roads. In my area, there is a regional road where two lorries cannot meet because it is too narrow. Other places might need traffic calming. Sight distance is also an issue.

I am concerned that the RSA cannot share data with local authorities. This requires legislation and the Government is dragging its feet on the issue. The Government could pass legislation to ensure information was shared. Doing so would inform decisions made by local authorities to carry out road improvements where there were safety concerns.

I want to express concern regarding a recent report on a "Prime Time" programme about cars passing the NCT in certain centres only to turn out to not be safe to drive. I hope this is being addressed. The particular case on the programme will probably be addressed. Overall, though, we must make sure NCT centres carry out proper testing to ensure all cars are safe to drive on our roads.

Waiting times for driver tests is an issue of concern. In Cavan, the waiting time is 18 weeks. It is much worse in other areas. In my neighbouring county of Meath, it is 33 weeks. When Jack Chambers was Minister of State with responsibility for road safety, he told us the waiting time would be reduced to ten weeks but this has not happened.There was an attempt to recruit additional testers and contracts were issued but they were not permanent contracts. People went through the training and then found out they could be posted anywhere in Ireland. Somebody living in County Offaly could be posted to County Cork. That is not appropriate. Better contracts are now available, which are permanent and will give people a choice of two places. That is to be welcomed. I hope extra testers can be trained as quickly as possible. I am also conscious that a tester must be removed from doing driver testing to train additional testers. That causes a backlog in the meantime. This should be addressed down the line if we can recruit the extra testers.

I have spoken about fatalities. Between 2019 and 2023, 164 pedestrians died and 1,436 were seriously injured. Sometimes we forget about those who are seriously injured in accidents. They often suffer life-changing injuries, which means they require disabilities supports or neurological supports. I want to mention that 21% of these 1,436 were children under the age of five. Sinn Féin Councillor Damien Brady recently brought a motion to Cavan County Council, which was passed, that high-visibility clothing should be compulsory for all pedestrians. This is something we should consider because motorists can get a fright if they are driving along and meet someone dressed in dark clothes and narrowly miss them because they do not see them. This is something that should be looked at.