Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 54: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his position regarding the road safety strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8545/11]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Road Safety Strategy 2007 - 2012 is being successfully implemented across a range of agencies. The core objective of the Road Safety Strategy is to reduce road deaths to no greater that 60 fatalities per million population by the end of 2012. This is an average of 21 road deaths per month or 252 deaths per annum. 2010 saw the lowest number of road deaths on record at 213. This is an average of 18 road deaths per month. This core objective has been met well before its target date and we must concentrate our efforts in ensuring that the figure is maintained or improved over the next few years. While there has been a slight increase in the year-on-year rate so far in 2011, we continue to be below the target monthly average.

Under action 83 of the Strategy, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) is tasked with reporting annually on the 126 actions in the Strategy. The report on the implementation of the actions for 2009 was approved by my predecessor on 1st March 2011. This is the third such report. The report outlines the progress on the 56 actions (including annual actions) included in the Road Safety Strategy for implementation in 2009. Of these 56 actions, 39 were completed in full and on time, a further 8 are nearing completion or completed outside of the target date and a further 9 are incomplete for a variety of reasons. I expect to receive the fourth annual report covering the implementation of the 2010 actions later this year. At a recent meeting with the Board of the RSA, I requested that initial consideration be given, at an early stage, to the content of the next road safety strategy, which will commence in 2013.