Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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449. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will request statistics from the rail accident investigation unit with regard to the number of accidents for each year since 2009 involving collisions between trains, cars and pedestrians at level crossings on the heavy rail system in tabular form; if the type of crossing, the location and the accident category can be defined (details supplied) in terms of the occurrence reported to the European Rail Agency; if the required recommendations were acted upon in a timely manner to prevent such accidents from reoccurring; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15188/19]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 449 and 454 together.

The Railway Accident Investigation Unit (RAIU) is a statutory body that performs its functions, independent of my Department, under the European Union (Railway Safety) (Reporting and Investigation of Serious Accidents, Accidents and Incidents) Regulations 2014 (S.I. No. 258 of 2014).

With regard to statistics, the RAIU have a statutory obligation under that statutory instrument and the associated EU Railway Safety Directive to publish, by 30 September each year, an annual report accounting for the investigations carried out in the preceding year, the safety recommendations that were issued and actions taken in accordance with recommendations issued previously. The RAIU is required to send a copy of the annual report to the European Union Agency for Railways, to the Commission for Railway Regulation and the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. I do not request the RAIU to provide statistics in any other format.

The annual report publications for years 2008 to 2017 are available on the RAIU website at www.raiu.ieand contain summary details to indicate if an investigation concerned a level crossing including the location and particulars of the incident. The annual reports contain details in relation to safety recommendations issued each year, including any recommendations that relate to non-automated rail crossing points and the status on the actions taken in relation to those. Full details of safety recommendations issued by the RAIU are set out in the RAIU investigation reports which are also available on the RAIU website. The safety authority (the Commission for Railway Regulation) has a role under S.I. No. 258 of 2014 to take the necessary measures to ensure that the safety recommendations are duly taken into consideration and, where appropriate, acted upon.