Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 61: To ask the Minister for Transport his plans to introduce new transport legislation or regulations to pursue drivers accused of speeding outside the District Court system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21192/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The fixed charge system is an important element of the enforcement of road traffic offences, which is provided for in the Road Traffic Acts. While enforcement and issuing of notices is a matter for the Gardai, I would not agree that road safety is suffering in this regard.

The key indicator of road safety is the number of fatalities on the road, and we are still on target to reduce road deaths to no greater than 60 fatalities per million of population by the end of 2012 which equates to 252 deaths per year.

Fatalities on our roads have fallen in recent years, and the number for 2008, at 279, is the lowest since records began. The number of fatalities to date is 105 (22 May), and while this is one up on the same date last year, it is often difficult to match the same rate of progress of a record year such as 2008 and overall we are still well on target to meet the overall Strategy target.

I have no plans to introduce new legislation to deal with speeding or any road traffic offences outside the District Court system.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 62: To ask the Minister for Transport if he has reviewed the operation of the random roadside drug driving programme in the Australian state of New South Wales; the reason he has not introduced a similar programme to target drug drivers on roads here; the number of drivers who have been tested for drug driving each year since 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21253/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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Driving under the influence of intoxicants, drugs as well as alcohol, is one of many key issues in road safety, and the testing of drivers in relation to drugs is already provided for in the Road Traffic Acts.

Currently, where a member of the Garda Síochána is of the opinion that a person in charge of a mechanically propelled vehicle in a public place is under the influence of a drug or drugs to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of that vehicle, he or she may require that person to go to a Garda station and further require that person to submit to a blood test or to provide a urine sample.

I understand that the random drug driving testing scheme referred to by the Deputy is limited in application. It is based on saliva and the test is carried out at the roadside for the presence of methamphetamine and cannabis only.

There is no feasible basis yet in Europe for the introduction of a scheme of preliminary roadside testing for drugs. Testing devices are still in the prototype stages and the Medical Bureau of Road Safety (MBRS) is keeping abreast of developments. I will be guided by them as to when a roadside test suitable for use here becomes available and should be introduced.

In the meantime, the Road Traffic Bill, the drafting of which is nearing completion, includes provisions for "field impairment testing" i.e. non-technological methods by which the Gardaí can make a preliminary assessment about the possible presence of drugs.

The number of specimens tested for the presence of a drug or drugs by the Medical Bureau of Road Safety for the years 2004 to 2008 is as follows:

2004 -569

2005-747

2006-879

2007-1,555

and the provisional figure for 2008 is 1,900.