The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has, in essence, been self-financing since 2014 and I am satisfied that the RSA have adequate resources available to promote road safety.
I am aware that road deaths have been increasing in other jurisdictions, including in Europe and in the US in recent years. Overall, the number of fatalities has fallen significantly in Ireland in recent years, and the number in 2012, at 162, was the lowest since records began with road fatalities at 166 in 2015. As at 14 July, 2016 there were six more road deaths than in the same period last year, representing an increase of 7% on 2016.
The Road Safety Strategy 2013 to 2020, has the objective of reducing deaths on our roads to no more than 124 by the year 2020, in accordance with the EU target of no more than 25 per million population. While this is a national target, the Strategy recognises that this ambitious road safety target will only be met through shared responsibilities by all road users and the cooperation of all relevant agencies, including local authorities. Under the Road Safety Strategy, a Road Safety Working Together Group has been established in Local Authority areas to co-ordinate multi-agency road safety policy and to implement at a local level a Road Safety Action Plan in each local authority area. Local authorities are also represented on the High Level Road Safety Group through a representative of the City and County Management Association.
This year, additional measures are being taken to address the worrying trend of an apparent increase in drink driving, and An Garda Síochána has confirmed that it will be specifically targeting the counties of Cork, Galway, Dublin, Donegal and Cavan, which together account for more than 40% of road deaths so far this year.
