Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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135. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if her Department has asked An Garda Síochána to carry out a cost benefit evaluation of its performance in promoting road safety in 2013 and to date in 2014 in view of the serious rise in casualties on Irish roads in 2013 and the fact that deaths from road collisions are only marginally decreased to date in 2014 compared to the level in 2013. [39063/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Policing Priorities for 2014 include an emphasis on reducing the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads and An Garda Síochána has my full support in this regard. Similarly, An Garda Síochána's Strategy Statement for 2013-2015 incorporates road safety as one of its key objectives through the use of targeted hi-visibility enforcement measures, as well as education and prevention programmes. Performance against these objectives, as for other areas of police activity, is managed and assessed on an ongoing basis by the Garda authorities and publicly reported on in the Garda Síochána Annual Report. The 2013 Reports sets out the extent of Garda enforcement and prevention operations for the year and in this context I have no plans to commission a separate assessment of the type referred to by the Deputy.

While the increase in the number of road deaths in 2013 over 2012 is worrying, fatalities remain far lower than they were just a few years ago. I am in ongoing contact with the Garda authorities in relation to enforcement activity and can assure him that is remains determined and focused on the areas of greatest risk. I am also continuing to work closely with my colleague the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and other relevant agencies and institutions to advance road safety generally as part of the Government's overall Road Safety Strategy.