Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 41: To ask the Minister for Transport his views on the recent European Transport Safety Council statement which indicates that Ireland will be one of the states which will not hit the target of reducing road deaths by 50% between 2001 and 2010 as the percentage change in road deaths in Ireland between 2001 and 2008 was just 32%; the steps he will take to address this target; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28388/09]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 48: To ask the Minister for Transport his views on the number of road deaths and collisions over the past few months including the loss of 32 lives on roads here in May 2009 compared with 19 deaths on the roads in May 2008; the measures, including legislative and enforcement, he is taking to address this trend; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28384/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions 48 and 41 together.

Road safety is a key priority for Government, and this commitment is underpinned by the Road Safety Strategy 2007-2012. We are still on target to meet the overall Road Safety Strategy target of reducing road deaths to no greater than 60 fatalities per million population by the end of 2012. This would equate to an average of 21 road deaths per month or 252 per year; the total for 2008 was 279 and the figure to date (7th July) is 128, down 15 on the same date last year.

The European Transport Safety Council report sees Ireland improve its standing from 9th position in 2007 to 6th position in 2008 out of the 27 EU Member States in terms of road fatalities per million of population.

Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 42: To ask the Minister for Transport the amount of funding which has been allocated to the Medical Bureau of Road Safety specifically to target drug driving for these years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28393/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The number of specimens tested for the presence of a drug or drugs by the Medical Bureau of Road Safety for the years 2005 to 2008 is as follows:

Figures for 2009 are not available at this time.

While my Department provides annual funding to the Medical Bureau of Road Safety, the allocation of resources to the various programmes is a matter for the Bureau itself.