Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 49: To ask the Minister for Transport when the fifth progress report on the road to safety will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11019/04]

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 68: To ask the Minister for Transport the measures he intends to introduce to reverse the increase in road fatalities over the past six months. [12544/04]

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 111: To ask the Minister for Transport when he will publish his new road safety strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10989/04]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 125: To ask the Minister for Transport his future plans for road safety; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10988/04]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 49, 66, 68, 111 and 125 together.

The programme for Government states that a three year road safety strategy will be developed and will target speeding, drink-driving, seat-belt wearing and pedestrian safety in order to reduce deaths and injuries. At my request, the high level group on road safety has prepared a draft new strategy for the period 2004-06 and I have recently received approval from Government to publish the strategy. Arrangements are being put in place to provide for printing and publishing of the document as soon as possible.

The preparation of the new strategy has taken account of the achievements in meeting the targets set out in the road to safety strategy 1998-2002, a comprehensive review of that strategy, further positive trends established in 2003, and the evolving developments in relation to the EU third road safety action plan.

The strategy, which includes a report on progress achieved during the term of the previous strategy, will outline a range of issues that it is intended will be pursued over the period in question. In overall terms, measures will focus on the areas of education, enforcement, engineering and legislation and will target the key areas of speeding, driving while intoxicated and seat-belt wearing.

New legislation is being prepared in my Department which will provide support for the deployment of key initiatives in the area of speed limits and drink driving and will further enhance the enforcement capacity of the Garda Síochána. Government approval to the general scheme for that legislation was given last Tuesday and I intend to bring the Bill before the Oireachtas during the current session.

The number of fatalities resulting from road collisions since the start of the year is a cause of particular concern. The total for the first four months is 28 higher than for the same period last year. This situation has been exacerbated by the fact that nine lives were lost in two tragic incidents of which the House will be aware.

The difficult start to 2004 will be given particular consideration by the high level group to ensure that the measures recommended in the new strategy will be implemented as quickly as possible. In addition, the group will monitor the ongoing effects of those measures and recommend adjustment to the focus of the strategy as necessary.

I am determined to pursue a strategic approach to the improvement of road safety to achieve long term sustainable reductions in road casualties. The forthcoming road safety strategy will set out a comprehensive range of measures to ensure that we can build on the success of recent years — a reduction from 472 road fatalities in 1997 to 339 in 2003 — a fall of 28%, over a period when the number of vehicles, drivers and kilometres travelled on our roads has increased significantly.