Shane McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Question 39: To ask the Minister for Transport his views on the recent report of the European Transport Safety Council which found that Ireland was ranked 20 out of 29 countries in reducing road deaths since 2001; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24314/07]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 88: To ask the Minister for Transport his views on the recent report of the European Transport Safety Council which found that Ireland has reduced road deaths since 2001 by 10.9% compared to France which has reduced road deaths by 42.3%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24316/07]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 39 and 88 together.

According to the recent report published by the European Transport Safety Council, Ireland has improved its road safety standing in Europe by climbing 4 places in the last year to become the 12th lowest country for road deaths per million population of the 29 countries surveyed. The report also shows that road deaths in Ireland have dropped by 11% since 200. While the report has tracked Ireland's progress up to the 31st December 2006, the downward trend in road deaths and collisions, which commenced in August 2006 with the introduction of roadside Mandatory Alcohol Testing, is clearly evident in 2007.

Since the introduction of key changes in the road safety area including Mandatory Alcohol Testing, the increase in penalties for drink driving offences, the extension of the penalty points system, greater Garda visibility and enforcement and, the establishment of the Road Safety Authority, there has been a marked reduction in the number of road deaths, despite ever increasing numbers of vehicles on our roads. The number of road deaths in 2006 at 368 was the second lowest rate recorded in 40 years and the downward trend continues.