Vol. 492 No. 3
1 Ms Clune asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government his views on the recent survey published by the EU statistics office in Luxembourg which found that Ireland has some of the most dangerous roads in the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13883/98]
2 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the progress, if any, to date in the road safety initiative launched in 1997; the number and dates of meetings held by the steering group; the proposals, if any, implemented by the group to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13884/98]
I propose to take Question Nos. 1 and 2 together. The recently published Eurostat survey is based on an assessment of road accident data in the European Union for the seven year period 1989 to 1995. During that period, road fatalities in Ireland decreased by 5 per cent, a rate somewhat behind the EU average for the period. At 121 road deaths per million people in 1995, Ireland was close to the EU average of 119.
The Eurostat survey does not provide comparative information on road fatalities in relation to vehicle travel. By reference to this parameter, Ireland ranks joint fourth best among EU member states from whom information is available. I regard the new survey as valuable in bringing wider EU experiences of road safety into focus and in highlighting the superior road safety performances of some of our EU partners. Comparisons with such countries challenge us to learn from their approaches and to move towards an improved level of road safety in Ireland for which there is strong public and political demand.
In response to this demand, the Government is already committed to publishing and implementing a national road safety strategy. This will support a more systematic, intensive and co-ordinated approach to all aspects of road safety. The high level group on road safety was mandated late in 1997 to prepare this strategy. The group and a specially constituted subgroup met on five occasions between November 1997 and February 1998 to prepare a framework and set directions for the strategy. Detailed drafting of the strategy, with further supporting research, was then remitted to my Department subject to final clearance by the high level group. The group will meet shortly to finalise the strategy, following which I will present it to Government and publish it.
Pending finalisation of the strategy, action by the road safety agencies is being stepped up. A substantially increased grant has been provided by my Department to the National Safety Council in 1998 for the purpose of improving road safety and promoting road accident prevention. Garda enforcement of road traffic law continues to be given a high priority under the direction of the National Traffic Policy Bureau and through the implementation of Operation Lifesaver. The National Roads Authority has increased its provision in 1998 for its low cost safety measures programme and for other measures directly related to road safety. I also welcome the fact that road fatalities countrywide to end May 1998 show a decrease of some 10 per cent on the corresponding period in 1997.
I welcome the Minister's acknowledgement that road safety in this country leaves a great deal to be desired when compared to some of our EU partners, particularly the UK, whose record of road fatalities is very low. In 1995, there were 121 deaths per million in road accidents in Ireland. Last year, 453 people were killed on our roads. Since I tabled this question, there were a further four deaths in my constituency in Cork. One must consider the hardship and heartache involved for the families concerned in every case in which people are killed or seriously injured.
The Department of the Environment and Local Government could do a great deal to improve the standards of our roads, road signage and speed reduction. Speed is one of the major killers on our roads. Alcohol also has an effect on road safety. From my own observations, the number of people who do not wear safety belts is quite high and that is also a contributory factor. Has the Minister any specific proposals to improve road standards, signage and increase people's awareness of speed limits? Could speed limits be reduced in built-up areas such as housing estates to 15 or 20 mph? Numerous representations have been made to me in regard to this problem. I would like the Minister to introduce some concrete proposals which would lead to a reduction in the ever increasing level of road fatalities as there is a great deal of public concern about this issue.
I accept the Deputy's comments in regard to the heartache involved for those who are bereaved through road fatalities, especially when a number of members of the same family are killed or seriously injured.
The Department is constantly striving to improve, through improved allocations, the funding available to local authorities and the National Roads Authority to improve road standards. During a previous question time, the issues of signage and road improvements were dealt with in some detail. The NRA has increased the amount of funding available for the improvement of so-called black spots on national roads.
The other points raised by the Deputy basically relate to enforcement of the law which is a matter for the Garda. The Garda are contributing in a vigorous manner to the high level group on road safety. It is statistically proven that the use of seat belts considerably reduces the level of road injuries and fatalities. The figure for wearing seat belts in front seats is approximately 60 per cent in Ireland. That is relatively low in comparison to the rest of Europe. The best rate in Europe is 95 per cent while the average is 85 per cent. Ireland is 25 per cent below the norm.
In 1997, approximately 6,535 samples were analysed by the medical bureau. The samples were taken from people who were stopped by the Garda under section 49 of the Road Traffic Act. Of these samples, 93 per cent were found to be at, or above, the legal limit and approximately 62 per cent were over the legal limit. The gardaí usually form an opinion that something is wrong with somebody's driving before they stop a car but the fact that 93 per cent of people stopped had blood alcohol levels above the limit is staggering.
Although these questions have been taken together, they deal with separate matters. One refers to the situation in 1995 and the survey by EUROSTAT while the second refers to a specific initiative announced by the Taoiseach and the Minister last year to deal with an unacceptable increase, particularly in 1997, in the number of road deaths. I asked for the number and dates of meetings held by the high level steering group, not the sub-groups.
It is unacceptable that we have had to wait so long for the group's report. Urgency and anxiety was expressed by all Members of the House when this matter was raised on the Order of Business and it is not good enough that a report has not been produced and action has not been taken on the initiative to date. When will the report be available for debate and implementation? Has the Minister received any interim proposals from the steering group to date?
I have not received an interim report although the Minister of State with responsibility in this area maintains close contact with the group. There were five meetings between the high level group and the specially constituted sub-group. The high level group met on 17 November 1997 to set out parameters for deciding what proposals would be considered and so forth. It also met on 13 February 1998. Between those dates the specially constituted sub-group met on 21 November and 1 and 12 December 1997. It met to gather information and to develop the framework for the strategy to assess and analyse the submissions it received from the various elements that constituted the high level group.
At the meeting on 13 February it was agreed that when all the information was compiled and the analyses and assessments completed, it would be brought together by the Department to progress the drafting of a strategy based on the work of the sub-group, the submissions that had been received and the general approach that had previously been agreed by the high level group.
With regard to the date of publication of the report, the task is within weeks of completion. The process also involved a number of bilateral discussions with bodies such as the Department, the Garda Síochána, the transport authorities, the National Road Authority and representative organisations. The report will be published shortly.
We have exceeded the time limit for this question. There is a strict time limit on Priority Questions.
There was injury time at the beginning.
I have taken that into account. The new rule is strictly applied and I cannot make an exception.
Can I ask one brief supplementary?
No, we must proceed to Question No. 3.
That is most unsatisfactory. I asked a Priority Question and I am only permitted one supplementary.
I can only operate the new rule which is that six minutes are allocated per priority question. We have spent almost 14 minutes on this question.
That means the Minister can give a long reply and not have to answer any supplementaries.
The Minister's initial reply is confined to two minutes. It was four minutes in this case because two questions were taken together. That is the new rule laid down by the House.
It is most unsatisfactory.
