Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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265. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the road traffic fatalities to date for 2019 published by An Garda Síochána to 16 January 2019 are incorrect (details supplied); his views on whether the issues with same are ongoing in view of long-standing controversies in relation to Garda statistics; and when corrected figures will be published by An Garda Síochána. [2895/19]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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You will appreciate that I, as Minister for Justice and Equality, have no role in relation to the collection of Garda statistical data; however, to be of assistance, I have asked An Garda Síochána for a report on the matter.

I am informed by An Garda Síochána that statistics on road traffic fatalities, published on An Garda Síochána's website, are provisional, operational and subject to change. There are a number of reasons why such statistics can change on a daily basis, for example:

- It may be established during the investigation of a collision that the person died as a result of a medical condition un-related to the collision rather than as a result of the collision. In such cases, the death will not be recorded as a road fatality and the collision may be downgraded from a Fatal Road Traffic Collision.

- In other cases, a Serious Injury Road Traffic Collision can be adjusted upwards to a Fatal Road Traffic Collision were a victim dies within 30 days from the date of the incident.

- There are also cases, where the incident is changed from a Public Road Fatality to a Private Road Fatality, which is reported separately and may not be reflected in published statistics.

I am informed that An Garda Síochána work with all relevant stakeholders in the development of accurate statistics in respect of road traffic fatalities, which are recorded in line with international best practice.