Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 80: To ask the Minister for Transport his views on recent comments by the chairman of the Road Safety Council that the absence of a central budget for road safety is responsible for inadequate funding of road safety schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12509/04]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The development of policies on road safety is carried out on a co-ordinated basis in the context of the road safety strategy by the high level group on road safety, on which the National Safety Council is represented.

Over the lifetime of the first Government strategy on road safety we have seen significant investment in Garda enforcement assets, we have provided the financial support necessary for the production and presentation of some of the most effective public awareness campaigns ever mounted in regard to road safety, many of which have received international recognition for their quality and focus. We have provided for major investment in programmes to address road collision black spots and to deploy traffic calming measures.

Exchequer funding in respect of 2004 for road safety agencies under the aegis of the Department of Transport amounts to a total of €22,488,000. In addition to Exchequer funding, the Irish Insurance Federation contributes to the National Safety Council's budget and funding is also received from sponsorship sources. The overall Exchequer provision for road improvement and maintenance works in 2004 on the national road network is €1,280 million. This compares with an expenditure outturn of €1,223 million in 2003 and €330.6 million in 1997.

Local authorities receive funding for road improvements and remedial measures on non-national roads which is not included in this figure. In addition, the funding made available for Garda operations supports the enforcement of road traffic law. That is a matter for the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

In overall terms, there is significant financial resources available to support the delivery of the road safety strategy under the auspices of the various bodies tasked with the delivery of each of the elements of that strategy.