Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 38: To ask the Minister for Transport the reason he has not signed up for the new EU-wide in-car emergency communication system, eCall that could save up to 2,500 lives a year on the roads across the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39552/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland is one of 12 Member States, including the United Kingdom and France, that has not yet given a commitment to develop eCall on a voluntary basis, by way of signing a Memorandum of Understanding. Since eCall does not exist as a deployed service anywhere in Europe, it has been considered premature to enter into commitments involving Exchequer funding until there are further policy developments and clarification at EU level.

While I strongly support the underlying principle of eCall in saving lives and reducing the severity of injuries, Ireland has a number of concerns about the effectiveness of a market based voluntary approach, about the lack of social inclusion since cheaper cars may not contain this feature and the fact that other vehicles are excluded. There are also questions about financial and economic feasibility of this concept, the operational and pre-deployment issues involved and, the willingness of industry, via the market, to invest in and implement eCall technology in cars. No car manufacturer has yet signed the Memorandum of Understanding.

A recent policy paper published by the European Commission in August 2009 has suggested that eCall might be deployed on a mandatory basis. Studies have indicated that eCall has a greater potential to save lives and reduce serious injuries if deployed on a mandatory as opposed to a voluntary basis.

My colleague, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources has responsibility for mobile telecommunications and emergency call handling for An Garda Siochana, the ambulance and fire brigade services, in the State. Any mandatory deployment of eCall would have financial implications for that Department. I have recently requested that his Department examine the implications of eCall from its perspective and I look forward to receiving a response in this regard.

A further study on eCall is currently being undertaken under the auspices of the European Commission, but is not yet complete. Ireland is actively engaging with this study. I will continue to monitor developments at a European level.