Gay Byrne, chairman designate of the Road Safety Authority to address Committee on Environment, Transport, Culture and the Gaeltacht

Committee Chairman Ciarán Lynch, TD said: “There has been a significant decrease in road deaths over the past decade. In 2010, 212 people died in road collisions, representing a 55% decrease compared to 1997. This was the lowest number of road fatalities since records began in 1959 and exceeds the goals set out in the 2007-2012 Road Safety Strategy.

While this progress is to be welcomed, any death is a death too many and any injury is a burden which should not have to be carried by a victim, their families or the State. We cannot afford to be complacent in our efforts to make our roads safer, improve behaviour among drivers, motorcyclists, pedestrians and cyclists and ensure all vehicles are roadworthy. Issues around speeding, driving while drunk or under the influence of drugs, driver fatigue and the roadworthiness of vehicles remain and we should be looking at all initiatives to address these problems and see what lessons we can learn from other countries in dealing with road safety.

Tomorrow, we will have an opportunity to question Gay Byrne on his vision and priorities for the authority. He will have a chance to outline the challenges he feels the RSA will face in coming years to ensure that deaths and injuries on our roads will continue to decline. Members will also be able to raise any issues or concerns they may have in relation to deaths and injuries on our roads and the role of the RSA in addressing road safety issues.”

This meeting will take place on Tuesday, 15th November, in Committee Room 4, Leinster House 2000 at 2.15pm.

Committee proceedings can be followed live at:
http://www.oireachtas.ie/ViewDoc.asp?fn=/documents/livewebcast/Web-Live.htm&CatID=83&m=o

For further information please contact:

Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2

P: +3531 618 3903
M: 086-0496518
F: +3531 618 4551

Committee Membership

Deputies:

Ciarán Lynch, Labour Party (Chairman)
Noel Coonan, Fine Gael (Vice-Chairman)
James Bannon, Fine Gael
Paudie Coffey, Fine Gael
Terence Flanagan, Fine Gael
Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, Fine Gael
Tony McLoughlin, Fine Gael
Patrick O’Donovan, Fine Gael
Brian Walsh, Fine Gael
Kevin Humphreys, Labour Party
Gerald Nash, Labour Party
Seán Kenny, Labour Party
Robert Troy, Fianna Fáil
Timmy Dooley, Fianna Fáil
Niall Collins, Fianna Fáil
Sandra McLellan, Sinn Féin
Dessie Ellis, Sinn Féin
Brian Stanley, Sinn Féin
Clare Daly, Socialist Party
Catherine Murphy, Independent
Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, Independent
 
Senators:
Cáit Keane, Fine Gael
Catherine Noone, Fine Gael
Labhrás Ó’Murchú, Fianna Fáil
Ned O’Sullivan, Fianna Fáil
Eamonn Coghlan, Independent