Written answers

Tuesday, 16 January 2018

Department of Justice and Equality

Road Safety

Photo of Pearse DohertyPearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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547. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the steps being taken to tackle the scourge of deaths caused by drink driving; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55058/17]

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I would like to thank the Deputy for raising this important issue.  I am deeply conscious of the serious issue of road safety and mindful of the traumatic impact of road traffic collisions on those directly affected and their families, as well as the impact of dangerous driving, including drink-driving, more generally on the quality of life of residents in local communities across the country. 

The Deputy will be aware that road traffic legislation is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Mr Shane Ross, T.D.  I am, however, informed that the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2017 will address an issue in the legislation on drink-driving which has existed since 2010, whereby the Road Traffic Act 2010, which lowered the permissible alcohol limit while driving, allowed people convicted of driving while in the lowest bracket over the limit to receive 3 penalty points instead of a disqualification, subject to certain circumstances.  The current Bill proposes to replace these penalty points with a 3-month disqualification, thus communicating the critical message that ‘a little drink-driving’ is a serious matter.  Evidence shows that, even at low levels, alcohol can impair people’s ability to drive and can dull their reactions.  The Bill is currently at second stage in Dáil Éireann and my colleague, Minister Ross, is committed to concluding the Bill's passage through the Houses of the Oireachtas as soon as possible. 

Road safety is a shared responsibility, one which the Government takes very seriously.  Ireland's current Road Safety Strategy (2013 - 2020) aims to place Ireland consistently on the list of safest countries in the EU and beyond. To achieve this, we are continuing to work together in partnership with all relevant stakeholders.  I attend meetings of the Ministerial Committee on Road Safety, along with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, the Road Safety Authority (RSA), An Garda Síochána, the Attorney General and other agencies. This Committee met 6 times last year and oversees the implementation of the Road Safety Strategy, providing a forum for high-level discussion of road safety issues and the opportunity to address road safety trends as they arise. 

Last year witnessed the lowest number of annual road traffic fatalities on record (159) and it is imperative that the positive momentum across road traffic enforcement and road safety initiatives is harnessed towards further annual reductions in fatalities for the remainder of the life of the Road Safety Strategy. An Garda Síochána benefited from considerable resource investment by this Government in 2017, which has contributed to the most welcome downward trend in road traffic fatalities. An Garda Síochána and the RSA continue to seek and avail of new opportunities to communicate with all road users and it is evident, from last year's figures, that many road users are heeding road safety campaigns and are increasingly aware of the importance of responsible driving behaviour.

This multi-agency approach continues into enforcement. An Garda Síochána undertakes a programme of high visibility road safety and enforcement operations, carried out in partnership with other state agencies. Garda operations specifically target road use behaviour known to contribute significantly to collisions, including driving while intoxicated.  By working together with the RSA and other agencies, An Garda Síochána will continue to confront dangerous road-user behaviour thorough public presence, legislative enforcement, education and partnership. I am informed that road traffic legislation is enforced as part of the day-to-day duties of members of An Garda Síochána, as well as through specific enforcement operations. The recruitment of an additional 150 Gardai to the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau this year will contribute to a stronger road traffic enforcement capability nationwide. An Garda Síochána also intend to have a stronger focus on road traffic enforcement in the training provided to new recruits at Templemore and this will have a positive impact on enforcement and, as a result, safety on our roads. The Deputy will appreciate that I have no direct role in the enforcement of road traffic legislation, which is an operational matter for the Garda Commissioner.

An Garda Síochána’s Modernisation and Renewal Programme (2016-2021) sets out key strategic objectives for Road Policing which will inform and guide An Garda Síochána's Road Policing plans over the lifetime of the Programme. Under the Programme, the Commissioner will undertake a number of road safety traffic enforcement initiatives, including expanding the use of technology and increasing checkpoints.The Programme is being supported by significant Government investment in An Garda Síochána.  Under the Programme for Government there is a commitment to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country in order to maintain and strengthen community engagement, provide reassurance to citizens and deter crime.

A key to achieving this goal is the commitment to continue the ongoing accelerated Garda recruitment programme with a view to increasing Garda numbers to 21,000 by 2021.  A further 800 new Garda Recruits will enter the Garda College, an additional 500 civilians will also be recruited to fill critical skills gaps across the organisation and to facilitate the redeployment of Gardaí from administrative and technical duties to front-line operational duties.  In addition, there are plans to strengthen the Garda Reserve with new Reserves expected to commence training early in 2018.  

In the period 2013 to end of 2017 almost €44 million will have been invested in the fleet with some 2,000 vehicles coming on stream in that period vehicles to ensure that the Gardaí can be mobile, visible and responsive on the roads and in the community to prevent and tackle crime.  In addition, the Government’s Capital Investment Plan 2016-2021 provides for a further €46 million of investment in vehicles to ensure that the Gardaí can be mobile, visible and responsive on the roads and in the community to prevent and tackle crime.  Some €330 million, including €205 million under the Capital Plan, is being invested in Garda ICT infrastructure between 2016 and 2021. This major investment will allow An Garda Síochána to deploy the latest cutting edge technologies in the fight against crime. 

The road traffic enforcement function performed by An Garda Síochána is one of its core functions and this Government is committed to further supporting An Garda Síochána in this regard.

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